PPL Seeks To Delay Implementation Of Program Restricting CAP Customers From Taking Choice Service Outside of Standard Offer Program

Citing required IT changes, PPL Electric Utilities has petitioned the Pennsylvania PUC for a three-month delay in the implementation date of the Customer Assistance Program Standard Offer Program (CAP-SOP), which, as previously reported, would be the only mechanism under which CAP customers may take competitive supply upon the program's implementation

Currently, CAP customers at PPL may shop for a retail supplier without restriction.

The PUC had previously ruled that, effective June 1, 2017, the new Standard Offer Program specifically designed for CAP customers (CAP-SOP), "is the only vehicle that a CAP customer [at PPL] may use to shop and receive supply from an EGS [electric generation supplier]."

EGSs participating in the CAP-SOP must agree to serve customers at a 7% discount off the PTC at the time of enrollment. This price shall remain fixed for the 12-month CAP-SOP contract unless terminated earlier by the customer.

For more details on the CAP-SOP program, and its impact on current CAP customers who are served by an EGS, click here for our earlier story

In its petition for a delay of the implementation date, PPL stated, "PPL Electric has determined that additional time is required to design, complete, and test the information technology ('IT') and programmatic changes necessary to implement the CAP-SOP. Therefore, PPL Electric proposes to amend the implementation date for the CAP-SOP from June 1, 2017 to September 1, 2017 in order to have sufficient time to fully complete the system changes necessary to implement the CAP-SOP."

"PPL Electric has identified the need to develop significant IT enhancements, including, but not limited to: enrollment and re-enrollment changes; setting up CAP-SOP rates and rejection codes; setting up letter and contact triggers at time of enrollment; identify recertification activity and make necessary changes; system changes to allow for seamless move to work with the CAP-SOP; develop reporting to track CAP customers utilizing CAP-SOP; and develop a mechanism to move customers into CAP-SOP during initial roll out. In addition, PPL Electric will need to work with the electric generation suppliers ('EGSs') participating in the CAP-SOP to set-up Duns numbers and add rate codes and values to distinguish CAP-SOP suppliers from non-CAP suppliers. Based on this evaluation PPL Electric has determined that it is unable to design, complete, and test the IT and system changes necessary to implement the CAP-SOP by June 1, 2017," PPL stated in its application

PPL in its petition noted that, within its service territory, CAP customers have always had the ability to either (i) receive default service, or (ii) shop for and receive electric supply from EGSs.

"During the period between June 1, 2017 and the amended implementation date of September 1, 2017, PPL Electric proposes to maintain the status quo and permit CAP customers to continue to shop," PPL said in its petition