RESA: Connecticut Proposals Could 'Collapse' Retail Market; Seeks Delay in 'Fact Finding' Session

Taken together, the 25 retail electric market proposals on which the Connecticut PURA sought comment, "could stifle and ultimately collapse the retail electric supply market in Connecticut," the Retail Energy Supply Association said in a request to postpone a fact finding session announced by PURA.

The proposed requirements, first reported by EnergyChoiceMatters.com (click here), include the utility verification of all enrollments, the prohibition of variable rate contracts, and the prohibition of hardship customers from being served by an electric supplier. PURA requested comments on these proposal by March 19 (Comment Request).

Separately, under PURA's schedule, pre-filed testimony from electric suppliers and other parties is due by noon on March 17.

A hearing is to begin on March 24.

The hearing is to be conducted in two phases: (1) a Roundtable Discussion at which the 25 proposed requirements and topics from the PURA comment request would be discussed; and (2) a Fact-Finding Session at which certain electric suppliers, who will not be identified until March 20, 2014, will be subject to cross-examination

A procedural order further instructed participants wishing to cross-examine other participants to submit a written request by noon on March 18, 2014 -- the day after the deadline for submission of pre-filed testimony -- identifying the subject matter of such cross-examination.

"Given the compressed schedule under which electric suppliers must respond to the Comment Request and the importance of the issues to be addressed in responsive comments, RESA hereby requests that the Authority grant participants an extension of time until March 21, 2014 at noon to respond to the Request for Comments as this will provide participants more time to prepare more complete and thoughtful responses to the requests," RESA said.

"RESA further requests that the Authority postpone the deadline for the submission of pre-filed testimony and the portion of the Fact-Finding Session at which participants other than the OCC, who already submitted pre-filed testimony, would be subject to cross-examination so that electric suppliers and other participants can focus their efforts on responding to the important topics addressed in the Comment Request; rather than forcing participants to shift their focus from those essential issues and rushing to prepare and submit pre-filed testimony in just over two (2) business days," RESA said.

"In the interests of administrative efficiency, RESA further requests that, at the conclusion of the Roundtable Discussion portion of the hearing, the Authority conduct a pre-hearing conference or technical meeting to discuss the filing requirements, deadlines and hearing procedures for the remainder of the Fact-Finding Session portion of the hearing," RESA said.

"For instance, during this pre-hearing conference or technical meeting, the Authority can avoid receiving extraneous information and focus the topics of the pre-filed testimony and, as a result, the issues that will be addressed at the remainder of the Fact-Finding Session, if the filing requirements and deadlines are staged so that that participants know before the deadline for submitting pre-filed testimony, the topics, if any, on which they will be subject to cross-examination," RESA said.