Briefly

Citizens Choice Energy Formally Announces N.Y. Service
Citizens Choice Energy, LLC formally announced its launching of New York service yesterday. Citizens Choice Energy has been offering service in New York for several months, initially offering gas service at Consolidated Edison. A standard form contract on Citizens Choice Energy's website indicates its intent to offer electric and/or gas service at NiMo, both KeySpan LDCs, National Fuel Gas Distribution, Central Hudson, and Orange & Rockland as well. Citizens Choice Energy offers a standard variable rate plan as well as a variable product with green attributes. Citizens Choice Energy said that it recently signed a master services agreement with IDT Energy, who will supply Citizens Choice with back office operations and facilitate agreements with wholesale energy suppliers at favorable rates. Citizens Choice Energy is also offering customers a free energy audit from Green Equations.

ICC to Hear Oral Arguments on ComEd POR
The Illinois Commerce Commission has granted requests for oral argument regarding Commonwealth Edison's proposed Purchase of Receivables program, and scheduled such arguments for December 2. As such, the Commission will not render a decision on POR by December 1, 2010, the originally sought effective date in the ComEd filed tariffs. Among other issues, the oral arguments will address: a) the appropriate cost-recovery mechanism for the POR program and any associated cost-recovery methodology issues; b) whether ComEd should be required to provide a bill insert service to retail electric suppliers; and c) the appropriate POR program implementation or "go live" date.

National Fuel Gas Distribution Delays N.Y. Imbalance Changes by One Month
National Fuel Gas Distribution has filed a tariff supplement with the New York PSC to delay changes in the methodology used to resolve ESCO gas delivery imbalances by one month, with a new effective date of February 1, 2011 (9/28/10). The delayed implementation date is to allow further time for related back-office computer systems development. The Small Customer Marketer Coalition has raised several concerns with the filed changes (10/20).