BlueStar Files Complaint Against ComEd/Ameren Regarding Lack of Purchase of Uncollectibles

BlueStar Energy Services has filed a complaint against Commonwealth Edison and Ameren at the Illinois Commerce Commission seeking an order finding that the utilities have violated 220 ILCS 5/16-118(e) by failing to file a tariff to implement Purchase of Uncollectibles as required by statute (Docket 11-0145).

"This [] matter is simple and straightforward. It involves a statute requiring the Utilities to file a tariff, but the Utilities have not yet filed that tariff," BlueStar said, noting that 1,189 days have passed since the law was enacted.

Specifically, 220 ILCS 5/16-118(e) provides:

"An electric utility with more than 100,000 customers in this State shall file a tariff pursuant to Article IX of this Act that provides alternative retail electric suppliers, and electric utilities other than the electric utility in whose service area the retail customers are located, with the option to have the electric utility purchase 2 billing cycles worth of uncollectible receivables for power and energy service provided to residential retail customers and to non-residential retail customers with a non-coincident peak demand of less than 400 kilowatts upon returning that customer to that electric utility for delivery and energy service after that alternative retail electric supplier, or an electric utility other than the electric utility in whose service area the retail customer is located, has made reasonable collection efforts on that account. Uncollectible receivables for power and energy service of alternative retail electric suppliers, or electric utilities other than the electric utility in whose service area the retail customers are located, shall be purchased by the electric utility at a just and reasonable discount rate to be reviewed and approved by the Commission, after notice and hearing. The discount rate shall be based on the electric utility's historical bad debt for receivables that are outstanding for a similar length of time and any reasonable start-up costs and administrative costs associated with the electric utility's purchase of receivables. The discounted rate for purchase of uncollectible receivables shall be included in the tariff filed pursuant to this subsection (e)."

Both ComEd and Ameren meet the 100,000 customer threshold cited in the statute.

BlueStar requested that the Commission order the utilities to file a tariff for Purchase of Uncollectibles, "within a reasonable amount of time following that Order."