Regional Advocacy Issues
NORTHEAST
Connecticut
United Illuminating & CL&P Report April Shopping Statistics
Current migration numbers for April 2009 show that 12.4 percent of United Illuminating (UI) customers and 12.9 percent of Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) customers are taking competitive supply in their service territory.
As Direct Energy Business and other energy service companies continue to advocate on behalf of maintaining deregulation in the state, the latest UI customer shopping information is a positive development.
New Jersey
New Jersey BPU Selects New Director of Energy
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities recently appointed Jerry May as the new Director of the Energy Division.
New York
Brown and Acampora Confirmed to New Terms on New York PSC
The re-appointments of Chairman Garry Brownand Commissioner Patricia Acampora to theNew York Public Service Commission were confirmed by the New Yorkstate senate for terms expiring Feb. 1, 2015.
MIDWEST
Pennsylvania
PUC Approves PP&L’s Default Service Procurement Plan for 2011-2013
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) recently approved a settlement for a default service program and procurement plan for PP&L Electric Utilities Corp. The Commission voted 4-1 to approve a motion to adopt a settlement, which establishes the default service plan for Jan. 1, 2011 through May 31, 2013. Under the settlement, the default service plan’s request for proposals procurement process will be administered by an independent, third-party manager.
According to the settlement, PP&L and interested parties will develop specific reporting mechanisms regarding the procurement process results. The settlement is structured around three separate procurement groups—residential, small commercial and industrial and large commercial and industrial—and provides a complete procurement plan for each group.
PUC Votes on Proposed Order to Expedite Implementation of Competitive Best Practices
The PUC voted 5 to 0 to issue a proposed order for public comment which would expedite the implementation of a number of competitive best practices, starting in PP&L's service territory, by Jan. 1, 2010—a year earlier in this service territory than originally planned. The PUC said it expects all utilities to have these best practices and/or processes in place as quickly as possible to the extent they are not already in existence.
Direct Energy Business intends on filing supportive comments on behalf of this proposed order, which the PUC has opened up for public comment.
WEST
California
Direct Access Bills Pass out of Their Respective Houses of Origin
Both Senate Bill (SB) 695 and Assembly Bill (AB 413) passed out of the Appropriations Committee in their respective House and are now ready to move through the political process. The next step is for each of the bills to be heard in the Energy Committees in the opposite house of origin (AB 413 will be heard in Senate Energy Committee, and SB 695 will be heard in Assembly Utilities Committee). The bills will then go to Appropriations in both houses and their respective Floors.
As a reminder, both bills are moving to reopen direct access with a capped amount of load available and phased in over a 3- to 5-year period. Direct Energy Business will continue to be as active as we have been to ensure the best possible success for this phased-in direct access reopening opportunity.
