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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 10-604

PROPOSED RULEMAKING

[ 52 PA. CODE CHS. 54, 62 AND 76 ]

[40 Pa.B. 1764]
[Saturday, April 3, 2010]

[L-00070186/57-257]

Universal Service and Energy Conservation Reporting Requirements and Customer Assistance Programs

 The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (Commission) proposes to amend Chapters 54, 62 and 76 (relating to electricity generation customer choice; natural gas supply customer choice; and customer assistance programs). Notice of the proposed rulemaking was originally published at 38 Pa.B. 776 (February 9, 2008). Under this notice, the Commission reopens the comment period to accept additional public comments until June 2, 2010.

 The Commission wishes to invite additional comments and suggestions on specific topics including, but not limited to:

 1) The impact of the Department of Public Welfare's proposed policy change regarding the use of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds on a distribution company's Customer Assistance Program (CAP) design.

 2) Factors that may impact CAP costs and affordability of bills, such as increased CAP enrollment levels, the recent economic decline, the expiration of electric generation rate caps, the impact on residential rates from the initiation of energy efficiency and conservation programs under Act 129 of 2008, and the potential impact on residential bills from smart metering initiatives.

 3) Whether cost recovery mechanisms, which have been implemented by some distribution companies, have produced savings from an improved timeliness of collection activities and whether these savings should be considered in evaluating costs claimed for rate recovery.

 4) Proposed rules in 52 Pa. Code §§ 54.74 and 62.4 (relating to review of universal service and energy conservation plans, funding and cost recovery), which create a triennial review process that takes the form of a tariff filing and addresses CAP program funding.

 5) Commissioner Kim Pizzingrilli's statement on Dominion Peoples Universal Service and Energy Conservation Plan for 2009-2011, Docket No. M-2008-2044646 (January 15, 2009), which discusses a Commission reporting requirement that directs all distribution companies to fully document the rate effect of program modifications in future universal service plans (USP). Under the requirement, distribution companies would include a table showing annual costs for each program, total cost for all USPs and the monthly cost of the programs on a per residential customer basis.

 6) The Commission's USP approval process, specifically, whether the Commission should issue tentative orders to provide an opportunity for comments and reply comments before approving a distribution company's USP, and whether the companies' USPs should be served on the statutory advocates.

 The contact persons for this matter are Stephanie Wimer, Assistant Counsel, Law Bureau, (717) 772-8839, stwimer@state.pa.us; and Grace McGovern, Consumer Services Policy Analyst, Bureau of Consumer Services, gmcgovern@state.pa.us, (717) 783-2067.

 Interested persons are invited to submit written comments, an original and 15 copies, to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Attention: Secretary James J. McNulty, P. O. Box 3265, Harrisburg, PA 17105-3265. The comments should reference Docket No. L-00070186, and may include specific language for revising the proposed regulations. An electronic copy of the comments should be e-mailed to Stephanie Wimer, Law Bureau, stwimer@ state.pa.us and Grace McGovern, Bureau of Consumer Services, gmcgovern@state.pa.us. Previously filed comments are available on the Commission's web site at www.puc.state.pa.us: http://www.puc.state.pa.us/general/ConsolidatedCaseView.aspx?Docket=L-00070186.

JAMES J. McNULTY, 
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 10-604. Filed for public inspection April 2, 2010, 9:00 a.m.]


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