Former CPUC Staffer Expects California Legislature To Address Utility Business Model, Choice Issues

Diane Fellman, who recently retired from her position as a senior policy analyst at the California PUC, told attendees at the National Energy Marketers Association (NEM) Western Energy Policy Summit that she expects the California legislature to address a variety of utility business model, aggregation, and "choice" issues during this session.

Fellman expects lawmakers to address such issues because there is, "such pent-up pressure now to question the investor-owned utility business model," for Pacific Gas & Electric, as well as due to the continued proliferation of opt-out community choice aggregations and the attendant implications for the supplier of last resort function

Fellman expects such pressure to unleash a full discussion of related issues, including "options" for customers

Fellman noted that "competition" may be seen as a "troublesome" word in California, but that framing the issue as providing more "options" or "choice" provides an opportunity for an opening.