PPL Suggests Consideration of Requiring All Customer Assistance Program (CAP) Customers To Be Served Under Default Service

Parties have filed comments on a proposed Pennsylvania PUC policy statement that would restrict shopping for electric Customer Assistance Program (CAP) customers to a product whose rate does not exceed the default service Price to Compare at any time

See details on the PUC's proposal in EnergyChoiceMatters.com's prior story here

PPL Electric said in comments that it, "also supports further consideration of whether the best policy to protect CAP customers is to simply require that all CAP customers be placed on default service."

PPL said that no retail suppliers have participated in its CAP Standard Offer Program (SOP) since June 1, 2018. PPL's CAP program required EGSs to offer a fixed price that is 7% below the PTC at the time of enrollment.

"This has resulted in PPL Electric expending resources in maintaining CAP SOP despite the fact that no EGS has participated in the program for over a year," PPL said

"For these reasons, PPL Electric recommends the Commission consider redrafting its CAP Shopping Policy Statement, requiring all CAP customers receive the EDC PTC," PPL said

PPL said that requiring all CAP customers to be on default service would eliminate the difficult issue of monitoring compliance with any rate limitations under a CAP shopping program

The Retail Energy Supply Association reiterated its previously reported concerns about CAP shopping restrictions, which have been previously reported by EnergyChoiceMatters when raised in EDC default service proceedings

RESA did propose an alternative to the CAP shopping restriction proposed in the PUC policy statement

RESA proposed that retail suppliers be allowed to serve CAP customers under a rate that does not exceed the EDC's PTC in effect at the time of contract initiation by more than 20 percent and, for fixed duration contracts, the EGS must maintain the initial contract price during the entire duration of the contract. RESA proposed no change to the proposed prohibition on termination and other fees for CAP customers

Docket M-2018-3006578