PSC-50-15-00007-P Collaborative Report on Proposed Consumer Protections for the Low Income Customers of Energy Services Companies

12/16/15 N.Y. St. Reg. PSC-50-15-00007-P

NEW YORK STATE REGISTER

VOLUME XXXVII, ISSUE 50

December 16, 2015

RULE MAKING ACTIVITIES

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

PROPOSED RULE MAKING

NO HEARING(S) SCHEDULED

 

I.D No. PSC-50-15-00007-P

Collaborative Report on Proposed Consumer Protections for the Low Income Customers of Energy Services Companies

PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE State Administrative Procedure Act, NOTICE is hereby given of the following proposed rule:

Proposed Action:

The Commission is considering a Collaborative Report filed on November 5, 2015 on proposed consumer protections for the low income customers of energy services companies.

Statutory authority:

Public Service Law, sections 5(1)(b), 65(1), (2), (3), 66(1), (2), (3), (5) and (8)

Subject:

Collaborative Report on proposed consumer protections for the low income customers of energy services companies.

Purpose:

To consider the Collaborative Report on proposed consumer protections for the low income customers of energy services companies.

Substance of proposed rule:

The Public Service Commission is considering a Collaborative Report filed on November 5, 2015 that addresses proposed consumer protections for the low income customers of energy services companies (ESCOs). The Report seeks to implement the Commission’s directive that when an ESCO serves a utility low income assistance program participant (APP), it must either guarantee that the APP will pay no more than the APP would have paid as a customer of the utility, or serve the APP with energy-related value-added products without diluting the effectiveness of the financial assistance programs. The Report: (1) identifies a mechanism by which ESCOs can confirm, at the point of sale, whether a potential customer is an APP; (2) defines the energy-related value-added products or services which satisfy the Commission’s criteria and may be offered to APPs; and (3) explains how protections will be provided to existing ESCO APPs and ESCO customers who become APPs. The Commission may adopt, reject or modify, in whole or in part, the relief proposed and may resolve related matters.

Text of proposed rule and any required statements and analyses may be obtained by filing a Document Request Form (F-96) located on our website http://www.dps.ny.gov/f96dir.htm. For questions, contact:

John Pitucci, Public Service Commission, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350, [phone], email: [e-mail]

Data, views or arguments may be submitted to:

Kathleen H. Burgess, Secretary, Public Service Commission, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350, [phone], email: [e-mail]

Public comment will be received until:

45 days after publication of this notice.

Regulatory Impact Statement, Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, Rural Area Flexibility Analysis and Job Impact Statement

Statements and analyses are not submitted with this notice because the proposed rule is within the definition contained in section 102(2)(a)(ii) of the State Administrative Procedure Act.

(12-M-0476SP13)