The Commission issued an Order adopting Rules Regarding Privacy and Security Protections for Energy Usage Data applicable to the electric utilities. "In addition to the adopted rules protecting the privacy and security of usage data, the decision adopts policies to govern access to customer usage data by customers and by authorized third parties. PG&E and SCE must continue to provide and SDG&E must provide access to customer usage data. Each utility must provide pricing, usage and cost data to customers in the customer-friendly manners discussed below. Specifically, within six months, PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E must each file a Tier 2 advice letter including tariff changes to make price, usage and cost information available to its customers online and updated at least on a daily basis. Each day’s usage data, along with applicable price and cost details, and with hourly or 15-minute granularity (matching the time granularity programmed into the customer’s smart meter), must be available by the next day. The tariff changes must offer residential customers bill-to-date, bill forecast data, projected month-end tiered rate, and notifications as the customers cross rate tiers as part of the pricing data provided to customers. The prices must state an “all in” price the customers pay for electricity."

Additionally, the electric utilities must work with the CAISO to develop a methodology for making wholesale prices available to customers on their websites. They must file an application with tariff changes to provide third party access to a customer usage data via the utility’s backhaul when authorized by the customer. The utilities must also undertake a pilot study on the provision of real time or near–real time price information to consumers.

A phase II of the proceeding will be commenced to determine how the Rules Regarding Privacy and Security Protections for Energy Usage Data should be applied to gas corporations, community choice aggregators, and electric service providers. The full text of the Order is available on the NEM Website.

As required by the Commission, a Supplemental Working Group Report has been filed on RM35 (gas choice regulations) implementation. The Commission declined to adopt a previous Working Group Report on the matter. The Working Group Report pertains to subject categories: the rationale for selecting XML as the vehicle for information transfer; a review of the uniform electronic transactions developed to meet COMAR 20.59 and its requirements; testing issues; revisions to the Gas Standards; and Change Management. The full text of the Working Group Report is available on the NEM Website.

The Board will convene a public meeting on September 26, 2011, beginning at 10AM in the Board’s Trenton office. The purpose of the hearing is for the Board to receive comments on the utilities 2012 Basic Generation Service proposals that were filed on July 1, 2011, and alternative BGS proposals. Those wishing to participate in the hearing should contact Frank Perrotti at Frank.Perrotti@bpu.state.nj.us by September 15, 2011. Final Comments on the BGS procurement proposals are due September 30, 2011. The full text of the Notice of Legislative Hearing is available on the NEM Website.

The Commission issued an Order initiating Phase II of its retail electricity market investigation. This was premised on its finding, "that changes are necessary in order to improve the current retail electricity market model in Pennsylvania. We also find that the existing default service model presents substantial impediments to the development of a vibrant competitive retail market in Pennsylvania. As such, the existing retail electricity market model and the current default service model prevent this Commission from fully carrying out the legislative goals set forth in the Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act. Accordingly, we direct this Commission’s Office of Competitive Markets Oversight to initiate Phase II of this Investigation and provide recommendations to this Commission which will present specific proposals for changes to the existing retail market and default service model, including any necessary regulatory or legislative changes. The recommended changes should be targeted to the improvement of Pennsylvania’s retail electric market by providing for a more informed and involved consumer population, additional products and services as well as increased participation and investment in Pennsylvania’s retail electricity market by EGSs."

Phase II will focus on three categories of issues and commence with a Staff technical conference on August 10, 2011. The three categories of issues for which the Commission is seeking recommendations are:
1) intermediate steps pertaining to changes to the existing market model;
2) long range steps involving structural changes to the default service model; and
3) a revised and enhanced customer education program.
The intermediate work plan is to be presented to the Commission in December 2011 and the long range work plan is to be presented in the first quarter of 2012.

The Staff has issued an agenda for the August 10th technical conference. The conference will begin at 10AM in Hearing Room 1 of the Commission's Harrisburg office. Agenda topics will include: Organizational Issues; Default Service Plans; Consumer Education; Prohibition of Marketing of Default Service; Acceleration of Switching Process; EGS/EDC Coordination Platform; Price to Compare; Default Service Model-Identification of Key Issues; and Future Issues and Process for Issue Identification.

The full texts of the Notice of Technical Conference and Order is available on the NEM Website.