The Public Utility Commission this week released a report on its staff’s fact-finding inquiry into the competitive electric market in the Pike County Light & Power service territory.

“Issuing this report for public consumption does not represent the end of Commission action on this matter, but rather we will continue to move forward because as I have said before I am not willing to abandon these customers,” said Commission Bill Shane. “This Commission will use the contents of this report to determine what additional corrective steps need to be taken in order to assure that Pike County Power's customers have access to effective competition.”

The Commission voted unanimously to release the report that answers a series of 14 questions designed to help gather information regarding the enhancement of the competitive electric market in the PCLP service territory.

The report details the answers to those questions provided by various interested parties including the PCLP, the Office of Consumer Advocate, the Office of Small Business Advocate, Retail Energy Supply Assoc., Constellation Energy Group Companies and a coalition of industrial consumers. The report was prepared by the Commission’s Law Bureau.

At this week’s meeting, the Commission also provided clarification that its April 29, 2006, actions to waive some rules for Electric Generation Suppliers applied to all suppliers operating in the PCLP territory. The actions were designed to encourage increased participation in the service territory by EGS. The waivers addressed areas such as switching rules, rescission periods, exchange and release of customer information, bill format and supplier licensing.

In August 2005, the Commission approved PCLP’s Default Service Implementation Plan, which included procedures necessary to implement default service (for customers when alternative providers are not available) and establish Provider of Last Resort rates for all customer classes.

In October 2005, PCLP implemented this plan by purchasing power via an auction which led to about a 70 percent rate increases for electric customers. On April 29, 2006, the Commission certified the results of a retail aggregation bidding program for the PCLP service territory that provided a modest savings for consumers.

For more information and a copy of the report, visit the PUC website.

6/23/2006