BEECHER - NAWC

Water ComparedAppendix AIStatePennsylvaniaTelecommunications[a]l/87. lntraLA TA tollcompetition allowed {I+,0+, 0- traffic goes toLECs).1993. Act 67 allowedPUC to authorize localcompetition.l/l/94. PUC lostauthority overinterexchange carriercompetitive service rates.1994. Alternativeregulation began.Electricity[b]11196. HB 1509, ElectricityGeneration Customer Choice andCompetition Act, enacted. Allowsconsumers to choose amongcompetitive generation suppliersbeginning with one-third of thestate's consumers by J/99, two-thirdsby l/2000, and all consumers byl/2002. Utilities required to submitrestructuring plans.7/10/97. Final orderre: guidelines formaintaining customer services at thesame level of quality underretail competition (Docket No. M-00960890 F. 0011).8/97. As required by HB 1509, PUCapproved statewide pilot programsfor 5% of each utility's load,beginning ll/97.Natural Gas[c]Falll995. Utility's plans toprovide customers in onearea access to alternativegas suppliers (smallcommercial and residentialwith volume and number ofcustomer requirements)filed.8/96. Utility's plan to begina residential gas supplierchoice program approved.2/97. Utility's marketingcampaign to make allcustomers aware of theiroptions announced.4/97. Utility's proposal fora customer choice pilotprogram filed.11/97. PUC ruled that none of theproposed pilots offered real savingsfor customers, and the utilities wereasked to re-submit more"meaningful" pilot programs.!997. Legislation is beingconsidered that wouldcompletely unbundle thestate's gas utility merchantfunctions by 1/l/99.12/97 and l/98. PUC approved itsown restructuring plan for one utility,considered a "benchmark" for utilityrestructuring plans in the state. Underthe plan, 66% of utility's customerswill have retail access by l/99 and allothers by l/2000. Utility would beallowed to collect $4.9 billion intransition costs.Performance-basedratemaking on a companyspecificbasis.2/98. Pilot programs completelotteries to select final pilotparticipants. The first portion of thestate's customers, chosen earlier, areactively participating in retail accesspilot programs since ll/97. Pilotparticipants should see a I 0% billreduction.Stranded cost recovery decisions leftto PUC; legislation encouragesmitigation; securitization underconsideration.NAWC130September 1998