For consideration at the Authority's next regular meeting, a proposed decision would reopen the proceeding on residential electric billing format for consideration of requiring an extension of the summary information requirement to include business electric bills and to review how the summary information is delivered to customers through the utilities' websites. State law currently requires the electric utilities to include a Generation Supply Summary in their bills to residential electric customers. The Authority implemented the law by requiring the utilities to redesign the first page of residential customer bills and their websites for the purpose of facilitating comparison of electric supplier prices and terms. Although the law does not require inclusion of the Generation Supply Summary on business customers bills, the proposed decision would have the Department examine whether these customers would benefit from the information. The full text of the Proposed Decision is available on the NEM Website.

The Commission adopted an Order on Rehearing in the Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) proceeding yesterday. The Commission affirmed its decision to authorize opt-out CCA programs. However, municipalities may choose to implement CCA programs on a partial or phased basis as a pilot program.

The PSC clarified that, "[I]f an ESCO that is selected to provide service for a CCA program enrolls a customer without offering that customer sufficient opportunity to opt out, the enrollment would constitute a violation of UBP Section 5(K) and subject the ESCO to an enforcement action, as appropriate."

Regarding the data to be provided by the utilities in the CCA programs, the Commission decided that customer phone numbers should not be included in any of the data transfers by default, although a municipality or program administrator can request for Commission review that phone numbers be provided.

The Commission also found that low income status should not be included in any of the utility data transfers. Referencing the ESCO Low Income Customer Service Moratorium case, the Commission noted that its July Order in the case, "determined that CCA programs would not be subject to any rules specific to the treatment of low-income customers."

The Commission also clarified that each Implementation Plan submitted by a municipality or CCA Administrator will be noticed for comment.

The full text of the Order on Rehearing is available on the NEM Website.

A Petition was filed by an ESCO with the Commission requesting changes to the UBP requirements on identification badge information. Specifically, it was requested that, "the Commission amend and revise Sections 10(C)1.(b).1 and 10(C)1.(d) of the UBPs to eliminate the appearance of an ESCO representative’s full name on the UBP required identification badge as an urgent matter of privacy and safety. Green Mountain proposes to amend this section to display only the first name of the ESCO representative as well as the representative’s unique employee identification number." The Petition suggests that the inclusion of a representative's full name on the badge has and could lead to the representative being subjected to harassment or stalking. The full text of the Petition is available on the NEM Website.