The legislature is considering AB1350, which would increase the current limit on electric direct access. The bill would expand access for "direct transactions" at the three electric utilities, beginning in July 2014. The bill provides in relevant part,

"The commission shall adopt and implement a schedule that implements a second phase-in period for expanding access to direct transactions over a reasonable time, commencing not later than July 1, 2014. During the second phase-in period, the allowable amount of kilowatthours supplied by other providers in each electrical corporation’s distribution service territory, in addition to the amounts authorized pursuant to paragraph (2), shall be increased by the following amounts: for Pacific Gas and Electric Company, 3,946 gigawatthours; for Southern California Edison Company, 3,946 gigawatthours; and for San Diego Gas and Electric Company, 462 gigawatt hours. As a condition precedent to the authorization of additional direct transactions pursuant to this paragraph, the commission shall find that other providers are procuring eligible renewable energy resources sufficient to meet their procurement requirements pursuant to the renewables portfolio standard established pursuant to Article 16 (commencing with Section 399.11). The commission may review and, if appropriate, modify its then effective rules governing direct transactions, but that review shall not delay the start of the second phase-in schedule."

The full text of AB1350 is available on the NEM Website.

PECO has filed a CAP (Customer Assistance Program) Shopping Plan proposed to become effective and permit CAP customers to shop for electricity by April 2014. Under the Plan, "the appropriate CAP discount percentage level will be applied to a CAP customer's total bill whether or not the CAP customer chooses to shop. The billing approach will be the same as PECO's current practice, except that the CAP discount will be applied to EGS charges instead of PECO's PTC for CAP customers who shop." PECO proposes that EGSs serving CAP customers must offer a rate that is at or below PECO's PTC for residential customers. EGSs would not be restricted in offering discounts or imposing termination fees. Participating suppliers are also proposed to be required to post their CAP rate on PAPowerSwitch. Participating CAP suppliers would have to enroll any requesting CAP customer and retain records and file reports on CAP customers served and rates offered. Participating CAP suppliers must use PECO's consolidated billing/POR service. PECO proposes to reconcile Generation Supply Adjustments for CAP customers on an annual, instead of quarterly basis.

PECO estimates it will cost approximately $4.6 million to implement the CAP Shopping Plan. It proposes that customer education costs ($300,000) be recovered through its existing Customer Education Charge. The remainder, attributable to training and IT changes to billing and information systems as well as business readiness and process changes, is proposed to be recovered from suppliers and customers. Half of the cost would be recovered from suppliers through a 0.3% POR discount, and half would be recovered from residential customers through a nonbypassable charge.

The full text of the PECO CAP Shopping Plan is available at this hotlink.