The Commission will hold an Electric Policy Committee meeting on February 23. The meeting will focus on the merger between Exelon and PSEG.

ComEd plans to file its wholesale supply procurement plan for electricity in March. ComEd is expected to propose to procure its wholesale supply in a New Jersey-style auction. If approved by the Commission, an auction would take place in mid-2006.

ComEd's rate freeze ends in January 2007.

DTE filed an application requesting authority to unbundle and restructure its electricity retail rates. The Commission expects the unbundling case to end by January 1, 2006, which is the date the rate caps expire. Interventions are due by February 25, with a prehearing conference scheduled for March 4.

According to DTE, the application unbundles the electric rates into separate distribution, generation and transmission components based on 2004 fully allocated embedded costs.

The Commission Staff and the electric utilities requested approval of a consensus agreement for a voluntary, statewide net metering program. If the filing is approved, the electric utilities will offer net metering programs. To view the request, please click here.

The Commission has announced the results of the 4th annual auction to provide wholesale suppy to the New Jersey utilities. The wholesale supply is used by the utilities to provide basic generation or default service. The Commission approved the auction results at its February meeting. The auction was for one year contracts for large customers (hourly priced) and three year contracts for smaller commercial and residential customers (fixed price). The contracts begin on June 1, 2005.

To view the results, please click here.

The Commission released its green power proposal. The Commission has proposed a framework, a budget process, technical standards and business rules for a program that will offer the same renewable resources/green power products state-wide. Comments are due February 18.

The Commission also recently approved revised Renewable Portfolio Standards. The standards require solar energy to be directly connected to New Jersey's distribution system.

To view the proposal, please click here.

The Commission issued a statement of general policy on rate design issues in the unbundling proceeding. The Commission encourages parties to design rates for competitive services that reflect the utility's embedded costs. The Commission found that the existing commodity backout credits adequately reflect costs. Nonetheless, the Commission expects future rates to continue to reflect cost of service for each customer class/type. Competitive service rates should be designed to permit fair recovery from each customer whether the customer is a below-class-average customer or a higher-use customer (intra-class disparity remains a concern for the Commission).

In response to the SEC's request for comments, the Ohio Consumers' Counsel opposed the sale of 3 CG&E Ohio electric plants to its Kentucky affiliate, Union L,H&P.

The Commission opened an investigation to determine whether there is a sufficient degree of competition such that default service can be eliminated. The Commission must make its determination by July 1, with a report to the Legislature recommending whether there should be modifications to or termination of default service due by December 1. Comments, requests for a hearing and notices of participation at the hearing are due by March 18. Commission Staff will file a report by April 15.

The investigation will review competition and whether default service should be eliminated for particular customers, particular classes of customers or particular geographic areas of Virginia.

To view the Order for Investigation, please click here.

In December, the Commission issued the 2005 average "price to compare". The price to compare includes generation and transmission service and will be reviewed again for 2006.

To view the SCC Average "Price to Compare" list, please click here.

The Virginia Commission on Electric Utility Restructuring has requested a study on the potential for renewable energy in Virginia. The study is expected to be completed by November 1. The study's focus would be on whether there should be additional efforts to increase renewable resources in Virginia. The study has not yet been funded.