American Coalition of Competitive Energy Suppliers Expanding in Second Year

With the start of its second year, the American Coalition of Competitive Energy Suppliers (ACCES) has announced plans for new energy choice education efforts, and a new membership structure which ACCES said will allow more organizations to become part of its nation-wide consumer education effort.

ACCES, which previously launched an energy choice education website (www.CompetitiveEnergy.org) said that it has developed an "ambitious" plan for its second year including: (1) the development of a third educational video in its "Meet Peggy" series, this one focused on understanding the customer utility bill, as a well as a mass-market consumer video for multi-channel distribution; (2) an interactive web feature to help consumers determine their energy priorities and preferences; and (3) efforts to develop relationships with key consumer segments, including new homeowners and senior citizens.

The current members of the supplier-driven initiative include Energy Plus, IGS Energy, Infinite Energy, and U.S. Gas & Electric.

A new two-tiered membership structure has been approved by the founding members of ACCES for implementation during the second year of the initiative.

"Allowing more suppliers to participate in ACCES will further demonstrate the seriousness of suppliers in supporting and promoting consumer education," ACCES said.

"ACCES's continuing goal is to demonstrate that the supplier community is committed to protecting and promoting the interests of all consumers," said Doug Marcille, Director, CEO, and President of U.S. Gas & Electric. "We want to open the doors of the effort to other like-minded suppliers who share our commitment, no matter their size or resources."

Under the new membership structure, a limited number of suppliers will be able to join the ACCES leadership as Sustaining Members. For an annual contribution of $10,000, these suppliers will establish the direction and annual budget for the organization's activities. Additionally, companies have the option of joining as an Affiliate Member for a contribution of $1,000. Affiliate Members will have complete access to organization materials and be recognized as supporting the consumer education effort.

"In just one year, ACCES has taken significant strides in building relationships with public utility commissioners and staff, consumer advocates, and other stakeholders," said Scott White, President of IGS Energy. "We are now ready to expand the scope of this initiative to educate more consumers directly about energy choice."