The share of U.S. electricity sales by competitive suppliers increased slightly since 2013 following over a decade of steady growth, according to a Nov. 1 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. While customer choice programs use competition to lower power prices and introduce new service products, not all customers pay less for purchasing power through…
The California Public Utilities Commission is launching a formal investigation into the recent Public Safety Power Shut-offs (PSPS), utility compliance with CPUC regulations and requirements, as well as series of immediate measures to protect consumers and overhaul the rules governing the mass safety measure, according to an Oct. 28 press release. The regulator is tackling the…
The New York State Public Service Commission adopted new cybersecurity and data privacy requirements for third-party energy suppliers and companies that electronically receive and exchange utility housed customer data, according to an Oct. 17 press release. The commission’s decision is directed at the state’s utilities and third-party energy suppliers with standards that ensure customer data remains…
The California Public Utilities Commission’s President Marybel Batjer ordered Pacific Gas and Electric Company to take a multitude of immediate corrective actions after it encountered significant problems with communication and coordination during the largest public safety power shut-off event in the history of California, which impacted an estimated 2 million people, according to an Oct.…
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, announced that National Grid is being directed to immediately connect more than 1,000 customers that were previously denied service following supply constraints, according to an October 11 press release. The company is currently under investigation and facing millions of dollars in penalties for failing to connect existing residential customers…
The Michigan Public Service Commission is proposing to amend rules governing the technical standards for gas service for utilities under the Commission’s jurisdiction, including cybersecurity measures, according to an Oct. 17 press release. The proposed rules reflect new technologies in the area of metering, equipment inspections and tests as well as removing references to obsolete…
Utility rate proceedings are evolving into forums to address emerging energy sector issues as grid modernization and resiliency, renewable energy procurement, and emissions reduction programs form a growing part of suppliers' business.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities issued a final order on Oct. 7 approving National Grid’s electric rate request, with a $41.8 million or 32 percent cut to the company’s original application for a $132.2 million hike. Regulators also approved performance-based ratemaking proposals, storm cost recovery and a limited part of the company’s aggressive electric vehicle…
The Illinois Commerce Commission approved Commonwealth Edison Company’s four-year residential rate pilot designed to incentivize participants to shift their energy use from peak periods to times when energy and capacity costs are lower, according to an Oct. 9 news release. The initiative is also intended to encourage electric vehicle charging during off peak periods, so…
The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission has approved Unitil Energy Systems, Inc.’s request to recover the costs of power supply through a bump in rates of about 10.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to the Oct. 4 order. The average monthly bills for small residential customers taking energy service from Unitil will increase by about 15.5 percent…
The Illinois Power Agency on Sept. 30 proposed a plan for the procurement of electricity for eligible retail customers of Ameren Illinois Company, Commonwealth Edison Company, and MidAmerican Energy Company for the period of June 2020 through May 2025. The plan provides recommendations related to the procurement of electricity, capacity, and associated transmission services to…
The California Public Utilities Commission issued a proposed decision on Sept. 23 that would authorize the state’s investor-owned utilities to collect from ratepayers a non-bypassable charge to support California’s wildfire fund, which is designed to help utilities pay for wildfire damages linked to their transmission equipment. Pacific Gas and Electric Company must emerge from bankruptcy…
