Conn. DPUC Revokes Turris Associates Aggregator License

The Connecticut DPUC has revoked the license of Turris Associates LLC to operate as an electric aggregator, finding that Turris, "has failed to comply with the provisions of Conn. Gen. Stat. §16-245(l)(5)."

The DPUC also imposed of a civil penalty against Turris in the amount of $360,000 (Docket 10-02-08).

The revocation stems from allegations from the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools that Turris charged CAIS an aggregator fee of $0.0025/kWh, when CAIS signed a contract for a fee of $0.001/kWh.

The Department found that CAIS' petition and interrogatory responses filed by CAIS and CAIS' supplier Hess, "support the allegation that Turris fraudulently collected fees in excess of those authorized by CAIS."

"Commencing June 28, 2006, for a period of three years or 36 months, Turris repeatedly and fraudulently charged for and collected the excessive aggregator fees," the Department concluded.

"Presenting Hess a forged document to receive fees in excess of those authorized by CAIS is a violation of Conn. Gen. Stat. §16-245(l)(5) in that the action is an unfair trade practice as provided in Conn. Gen. Stat. §42-110b(a). Since §16-245(l)(5) provides that an aggregator must be in compliance with the Unfair Trade Practices Act, any violation of the Act constitutes a violation of §16-245(l)(5) thereby violating the terms of the granting of the aggregator license. Conn. Gen. Stat. §16-245(l)(6) provides that any electric supplier that fails to comply with a registration condition shall be subject to revocation and civil penalty," the DPUC found.

The DPUC had required Turris to request a hearing to contest the findings within 20 days of a notice issued September 1. Though the Department, "received an undated and unsigned e-mail on October 6, 2010, requesting a hearing," the DPUC said that the email was not timely filed.