New York Invites Utilities to "Conversation" About Code of Conduct

As part of its Reforming the Energy Vision proceeding, the New York PSC has invited the state's six investor-owned electric utilities to participate in a "conversation" about their code of conduct, "in the face of the new business opportunities that may emerge with REV."

"This conversation will be the first of several that we expect to host, including future conversations that will be conducted with market participants, customer groups and other interested parties," the PSC said.

The PSC said that with the new role envisioned for utilities in REV, including acting as distributed system platform provider, "questions have arisen as to codes of conduct for utilities, both as they relate to interaction within the utility and between the utility and its unregulated affiliates."

"Specifically, utilities may have unregulated affiliates that wish to participate in the marketplace. Such participation is not prohibited by the Order, but we must ensure that codes of conduct are in place that will give the market confidence in the utility DSP's ability to provide fair opportunity for all DER [distributed energy resources] providers such that no opport1mity exists for preferential treatment of unregulated DSP affiliates. In addition, in deciding to allow the utility to be the DSP, concerns were raised that certain functions within the utility may have competing interests with the DSP functions of system planning, grid operations and market operations," the PSC said.