Regulator Adopts Revisions To Rules For State's Retail Supplier Rate Board/Shopping Website

The Massachusetts DPU adopted, as proposed, changes in the rule applicable to the state's retail electricity rate board and shopping website

Under the changes, in applicable utility service areas (Nstar and Mass. Electric [National Grid]), retail suppliers shall now be required to list the applicable ISO-NE load zones for which a product is offered, when listed on the rate board. Customers will not need to know their load zone, as such information will be identified by zip code

By entering a zip code, the Website will identify the corresponding distribution company and load zone, and show the appropriate products to the consumer. For zip codes that are served by more than one distribution company, the consumer will need to identify the distribution company after entering the zip code.

Suppliers will now be allowed to list products that are available to new customers only. Under the prior rules, offers on the DPU's rate board had to be offered to all customers in a respective customer class.

Suppliers will be allowed, but not required, to list a telephone number with an offer that is specific to that particular supply product, in order to improve the experience of customers purchasing products through the Website.

Modifications were also made to how information concerning products eligible to be classified as renewable (at least 50% renewable, when including any state RPS mandates) is displayed. The new provisions are as follows:

A. The website will display the percentage of each electric supply product that is composed of renewable energy resources. This includes the percentage required by RPS and the percentage that exceeds the RPS requirement (the website will display the percentage that exceeds the RPS requirement as the "voluntary" component of the product).

B. For products that are composed of at least 50 percent renewable energy resources, the website will:

1. display those renewable resource types (e.g., wind, solar) that comprise at least 50 percent of the product’s voluntary renewable resources; and

2. identify whether all of the product’s voluntary renewable resources are RPS Class I resources (the website refers to these resources as "new regional resources").

Docket 14-140