New Pennsylvania PUC Chair Has Pushed For Long-Term Contracts

The Pennsylvania PUC recognized Gov. Tom Wolf's appointment of Commissioner Gladys Brown as the PUC's new Chairman, effective at noon yesterday.

Brown replaces as Chair Robert Powelson, who will remain as Commissioner. John Coleman Jr. will remain as Vice Chairman.

As previously reported, Brown has criticized the most recent default service plans at the electric utilities for not including new long-term contracts, and instead relying on legacy long-term contracts to meet the statute's prudent mix standard.

Noting that these legacy long-term contracts will eventually expire, Brown had said in adopting PECO's latest default service plan in December 2014 that, "I wish to clarify that, in my opinion, it will be incumbent upon the EDCs and this Commission to carefully consider long-term contracts of four to twenty year terms, consistent with Section 2807 (e) of the Code, in future default service plans unless the Legislature decides otherwise."

Brown has also supported making Network Integration Transmission Service the responsibility of the EDC for all distribution customers, with retail suppliers relieved of the NITS obligation, with recovery via a nonbypassable charge. The PUC has generally rejected such proposals when the matter has been litigated. As first reported by EnergyChoiceMatters.com, the PUC has recently opened an informal review of the treatment of non-market-based RTO charges such as NITS.

Brown was sworn in as a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commissioner on Oct. 2, 2013. Her term expires April 1, 2018.