Quote from Pennsylvania Chair Powelson Being Used to Support Need for Utility-Provided Default Service

A quote from Pennsylvania PUC Chair Robert Powelson is being cited by consumer advocates as showing the need to retain the utility in the default supplier role.

In comments in Ohio's retail electric market investigation, AARP said that it, "opposes schemes that would transfer customers to any CRES without their affirmative consent or that does not conform to the existing government aggregation program policies."

AARP said that such proposals, "have been rejected in most states."

AARP then said that, "[a] comment by Robert Powelson, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission sums up the reason why," with AARP accurately quoting Powelson as stating: "[T]o the extent customers do not make an affirmative choice for themselves, the government should not make that choice for them."

Powelson's quote was made in September of last year when the Pa. PUC in a tentative order refused to remove the utility from the default supplier role, a decision it later affirmed in its final retail markets order.

AARP's cite to Powelson follows other consumer advocates, in Ohio and D.C., who have cited Pennsylvania's rejection of retail supplier-served default service as auguring against changes to default service in other states (see prior story).