NY PSC Chair: "Injustice" of Court Decision Vacating Retail Market Reset Order, "Will Be Short-Lived"

New York Public Service Commission Chair Audrey Zibelman issued the following statement yesterday concerning a court's decision to vacate Ordering Clauses #1-3 of the PSC's February retail market "reset" order.

"When ESCOs were charging multiple times the prices that utilities charge for energy, and consumer complaints of deceptive marketing practices poured in by the hundreds, the Commission took bold action in February to protect consumers. We are disappointed that a Judge delayed these protections for what were deemed to be procedural problems with our order. Unfortunately, as a result of the litigation, ESCO customers are still paying millions of dollars more every month than they should be paying for electric and gas services. But this injustice will be short-lived. The Court’s decision recognizes the Commission’s authority and firmly sided with the Commission that it is both our right and obligation to protect consumers against price gouging and other abuses. We will and we must use this authority. That is why we acted last month to ban ESCOs from serving low-income consumers. More actions are necessary to protect other residential customers. The Commission will easily address the procedural concerns raised by the Court and will continue our work to ensure that all electric and gas consumers in New York have the protections they need and deserve," Zibelman said

EnergyChoiceMatters.com was first to report that a court vacated ordering clauses #1-3 from the PSC's reset order, click here for details

Ordering clauses #1-3 generally included the limitation on mass market ESCO sales except where the product contained guaranteed savings versus the utility or 30% renewable electricity.