Texas REPs, PUC Staff File Stipulation Regarding Refund of Transition Charges to REPs

Staff of the Public Utility Commission of Texas and several retail electric providers have filed a non-unanimous stipulation regarding the refund of an $11 million over-recovery of CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric transition charges under Rider TC1

Signatories to the non-unanimous stipulation are CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, PUCT Staff, Reliant Energy, TXU Energy, and Alliance for Retail Markets (ARM).

According to the NUS, the Gulf Coast Coalition of Cities (GCCC) does not support the methodology of the refund prescribed in the stipulation, but has represented that it will not request a hearing on the stipulation.

The stipulation provides that, if a final order in the proceeding is issued on or before July 17, 2015, CenterPoint Houston shall refund through Rider TC Refund about $10.7 million over an approximately two-month period beginning on September 1, 2015.

Assuming a two-month refund period, the Rider TC Refund would equal a credit of $0.001530 per kWh for residential customers, based on CenterPoint Houston filings. Click here for the amount of refund credits for other customer classes

If a final order is not issued by July 17, 2015, such Rider TC Refund shall become effective on the next date on which CenterPoint Houston is scheduled to update one or more other riders to its tariff that is at least 45 days after the final order is issued.

CenterPoint Houston will use the same Texas SET SAC04 code for Rider TC Refund as was used for Rider TC.

Though the NUS states that the amount to be refunded to "customers" is $10.7 million, nothing in the NUS requires REPs to pass-through the refund to their end-use customers.

Docket 44041