Maryland PSC Directs BGE to Resume Supplier Testing March 1

The Maryland PSC has directed Baltimore Gas & Electric to resume testing natural gas suppliers for entry onto BGE's system on March 1.

Testing of new suppliers, including their ability to interact with BGE via XML, had been suspended by BGE at the end of September as BGE transitioned to a new billing system (11/17).

Castlebridge Energy, which is seeking to begin serving gas customers at BGE, had sought a show cause order regarding the suspension and delay. Currently, three natural gas suppliers, including Castlebridge, are awaiting testing and certification by BGE so they can begin marketing to customers.

At today's PSC administrative meeting, the Commission accepted that during BGE's transition to its new billing system, there was no ability to test and certify new suppliers, due to resources needed to implement the new system and to avoid any conflicts.

That doesn't mean the Commission was satisfied with how BGE handled the testing "blackout." Chairman Douglas Nazarian noted that gas and electric suppliers received no advance warning of when the blackout would commence, and said that BGE, without explicit notice to the Commission (there was a discussion in BGE's RM 35 workplan about suspending supplier testing, but no specific date was provided), has essentially foreclosed new entry by suppliers for what is hoped to be only a six-month period (though Nazarian noted past delays in BGE's new billing system and was concerned that the final implementation, and thus supplier testing blackout, could drag on for eight or nine months).

Nazarian further noted that this testing blackout favors existing suppliers which can still enroll new choice customers -- some of which are affiliated with BGE.

Still, the Commission agreed there was no option which would allow new supplier entry while BGE's new billing system is being implemented.

However, the PSC did set a deadline that the testing of new retail suppliers shall resume March 1. BGE expects that conversion to the new billing system will be completed January 3, which will provide BGE about two months to ensure a stable system environment prior to the resumption of testing.

If the conversion to the new billing system does not proceed smoothly, BGE must report to the PSC by February 17 that it requires more time before it can resume retail supplier testing.