Legislation |
06/05 |
House Bill
66.
Governor signed biennial
budget for fiscal year 2006-2007, which consolidated the call
centers operated by the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) and the Ohio Public Utilities Commission (PUC)
into one center at the PUC. The PUC must keep the OCC informed of
all calls. |
|
03/01 |
House Bill
9.
Governor signed
amended substituted HB 9, which requires retail gas suppliers to be
certified by PUC; authorizes governmental aggregation for
competitive retail gas service; authorizes PUC to order open access
for large LDCs; and consolidates consumer protection authority over
certain retail natural gas transactions. |
|
06/96 |
The Natural
Gas Alternative Regulation Law, House Bill 476. Establishes customer choice as a State policy
goal. |
Citizen
Action |
11/06 |
Voters
Approve Aggregation Program. Voters in Woodmere Village (Cuyahoga
County), Gallipolis City (Gallia County), Middlefield Township (Geauga County), Cheviot City and Green Township (Hamilton County), North Perry Village (Lake County), Austintown Township (Mahoning County), Champion Township (Trumbull County), and Perrysburg Township (Wood County) voted to give local officials the authority to
purchase natural gas on behalf of residents, except where any person elects to opt out. |
|
05/06 |
Voters
Approve Aggregation Program. Voters in Salem City (Columbiana County), Fostoria City (Seneca County) and Marietta City (Washington County) voted to give local officials the authority to
purchase natural gas on behalf of residents. |
|
11/05 |
Voters
Approve Aggregation Program. Voters in West Chester Township (Butler
County), Grandview Heights City and Hilliard City (Franklin County),
Xenia City (Greene County), Colerain and Springfield townships
(Hamilton County), and Liberty Township and Newton Falls City
(Trumbull County) voted to give local officials the authority to
purchase natural gas on behalf of residents. |
|
11/04 |
Voters
Approve Aggregation Program. Voters in the Summit County communities of
Barberton and Bath Township and the Stark County communities of
Alliance, North Canton, Canal Fulton and the county's 17 townships
voted to give local officials the authority to purchase natural gas
on behalf of residents. Stark County has an estimated 65,000
residential and 2,500 small business gas customers. |
|
03/04 |
Voters
Approve Aggregation Program. Voters in Wapakoneta (Auglaize County),
Tallmage (Summit County), Chardon Township (Geauga County), Amherst
Township (Lorain County), and Navarre Village (Stark County)
approved proposed opt-out gas aggregation
programs. |
Regulatory
Action |
12/07 |
Wholesale Auction Process Proposed for Columbia Gas of Ohio. Columbia Gas of Ohio, the OCC, and the PUC staff asked the PUC to approve an agreement to develop a wholesale auction process for natural gas service and a comprehensive energy efficiency program. In addition, Columbia would share with customers $35 million generated through nontraditional sales of gas and pipeline capacity. The wholesale auction, proposed to begin by April 1, 2010, would replace the current process for purchasing gas to supply customers not enrolled in Columbia’s Customer Choice program.
|
|
10/07 |
Standard Service Offer Rate Replaces Gas Cost Recovery Rate on Dominion East Ohio's Bills, beginning October 2007. All customers will pay the same transportation rate for natural gas delivery, regardless of supplier. Dominion will continue to distribute natural gas and provide meter reading and billing services. |
|
08/06 |
PUC Approves Results of Dominion East Ohio's Auction. The result of the auction was a Retail Price Adjustment of $1.44 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf), which will be added to the monthly NYMEX settlement price to determine the monthly standard service offer price. Bids were received from 12 wholesale suppliers. The PUC staff concluded that $2.196 to $2.504 per Mcf above the NYMEX monthly price was a reasonable benchmark to evaluate auction results. |
|
07/06 |
Shell Energy Announces Transfer of Choice Customers to MXEnergy. Beginning August 1, Shell Energy Services Company will transfer all its Ohio choice accounts to MXEnergy, Inc. MXEnergy will honor any price plans and terms and conditions signed with Shell Energy for the full term of the customer's agreement. |
|
06/06 |
PUC Selects Consultant to Oversee Dominion East Ohio's Supply Auction. CRA International was selected from 11 applications to assist the PUC in overseeing the auction and evaluating the results. The consultant costs will be paid by Dominion. The auction will be jointly monitored by Dominion, the PUC staff, the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, and CRA International. |
|
05/06 |
PUC Conditionally Allows Columbia Gas Choice Suppliers Access to Capacity at Maumee Gate. Columbia Gas of Ohio must absorb any cost increases that would be passed on to sales customers as a result of the capacity allocation. |
|
05/06 |
PUC Approves
Phase 1 of Dominion East Ohio Pilot. As a first step in its 2-phase restructuring plan, the company received permission to eliminate its gas cost recovery rate and replace it with a more market-based rate, called a standard service offer, on a trial basis that will cover two heating seasons. Instead of purchasing gas through individual contracts, the company will conduct an auction in which suppliers can compete for the ability to provide gas to Dominion. According to the PUC, the plan will test the ability of market-based rates to expand competition among suppliers and reduce natural gas rates in the long term. |
|
01/06 |
PUC Approves
Minimum Service Standards for Utilities. The rules address installation, metering,
billing, and customer service. Gas meters must be read at least once
every 12 months, and utility customers must be given written notice
of complaint procedures, customer rights and responsibilities, and
information about gas choice programs. |
|
12/05 |
PUC Approves
Cinergy-Duke Energy Merger. Three States have approved the merger, with
two more States pending. With the merger, Duke Energy will acquire
Cinergy's Ohio subsidiary, Cincinnati Gas & Electric (CC&E).
Within 3 months of the merger, CC&E must hold a workshop to
discuss natural gas choice issues. |
|
04/05 |
Dominion East
Ohio Submits Plan to Restructure Its Commodity Sales Function.
Company proposes a
two-phase pilot program as part of its plan to exit the merchant
function. In phase one, the gas cost recovery mechanism would be
eliminated for its non-choice (sales) customers and replaced by a
monthly market price determined through a bidding process. The
winning bidders would become wholesale suppliers to Dominion for
firm service re-delivery to the end-use customers. Under phase two,
remaining sales customers would be assigned to participating
marketers on a pro rata basis. At that point Dominion would become a
distribution-only company but continue its role as the provider of
last resort. |
|
01/05 |
PUC Allows
Monthly Rate Adjustments for Dominion East and Columbia.
PUC approved Dominion East's application to
make monthly changes to its regulated gas rate for the period
February 4, 2005, through May 4, 2005, and Columbia's application to
change to monthly adjustments beginning January 31, 2005. Columbia
had proposed to return to quarterly filings duing the nonheating
season (May-October), but the PUC ruled that would require a
separate application. |
|
05/04 |
PUC Approves
Columbia Gas/Marketer Settlement. Settlement
agreement freezes base rates and requires company to continue gas
choice program through 2010. Allows company to contract for firm
capacity to meet 100% of standby sales and core market requirements
through October 2005. From November 2005 to October 2010, Columbia
must meet 95% of standby sales and core market
requirements. |
|
03/04 |
PUC Modifies
Columbia Gas/Marketer Settlement. Declined to
pre-approve Columbia's plan to lock in interstate capacity through
2010 and to require marketers to buy 75% of that capacity from the
utility. Instead, PUC will review capacity decisions in biennial
audits and require individually negotiated agreements between
Columbia Gas and its marketers. Also modified provisions for a base
rate freeze and deferral authority for future recovery of
infrastructure investment by shortening the time period from October
2010 to December 31, 2007. |
|
08/03 |
PUC Allows
Monthly Rate Adjustments for CG&E. Despite
objections by the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, the PUC decided to allow
CG&E to make monthly changes to its regulated gas rate during
the period September 1, 2003, through August 31, 2004. CG&E will
file its new rate one day before it goes into effect. Previously
customers were guaranteed the same rate for 3 months. The PUC also
approved a monthly rate for Vectren Energy Delivery. |
|
05/03 |
PUC Ordered
Some Revisions to Dominion East's (DEO) Proposed Tariff.
PUC approved most provisions in tariff but
sided with marketers in their complaints about some financial and
creditworthiness issues. PUC agreed that OFO penalties are not costs
that should be associated with participation in choice programs and
that DEO should give 5 days notice before requiring additional
financial security measures from marketers. PUC refused the
marketers' request to consolidate DEO's tariff filing with those of
Columbia and CG&E. |
|
05/03 |
Five LDCs
Request “Bad-Debt Tracker.” Utilities file
to allow mechanism to recover gas costs for nonpaying customers.
Blame growth in number of nonpayments on variable rates through gas
choice programs. |
|
03/03 |
PUC
Investigates Possible Shift to Monthly GCRs.
The PUC set up informal meetings with LDCs
and marketers to consider shift to monthly gas cost recovery charges
instead of quarterly. |
|
11/02 |
Ad Hoc
Marketer Coalition Wants Statewide Financial Standards.
Group of seven marketers asked PUC for
uniform statewide standards for marketers including standards for
financial security and defaults. The group asked that PUC develop
uniform criteria against which the tariffs filed by Columbia,
CG&E, and Dominion East Ohio on Nov. 1, 2002, can be
measured. |
|
11/02 |
Companies
File Tariff Revisions to Correspond to New Rules for Competitive
Retail Gas Service. Columbia Gas of
Ohio (Case No. 02-2903-GA-ATA), CG&E (02-2895-GA-ATA), and
Dominion East Ohio (01-1371-GA-ORD) filed new tariffs on November 1,
2002. |
|
10/02 |
Review of
Utilities' Financial Health Initiated.
The PUC plans an in-depth review of the
financial condition of tbe State's public utilities to ensure that
the unregulated activities of their affiliates do not compromise the
integrity of energy services to Ohio utility
customers. |
|
08/02 |
Choice
Program Approved for Vectren Energy Delivery.
The PUC approved a choice program for Vectren
Energy, which distributes natural gas to 320,000 customers in the
Dayton and west central Ohio area. The program will be implemented
in three phases, with 15 percent of Vectren's customers eligible at
the start, 33 percent in April 2003, and 100 percent in September
2003. No more than 20 percent of total participants in each phase
can be nonresidential customers. Customers can begin choosing suppliers on
November 1, 2002. |
|
04/02 |
Finalized
Retail Choice Rules. PUC finalized
rules in accordance with Amended Substitute House Bill 9, signed on
March 27, 2001, which establish certification requirements for
competitive retail gas suppliers and aggregators, rules regarding formation
and operation of governmental aggregation, consumer protection
measures, and reporting and enforcement procedures to ensure rules
are followed. According to law, all marketers must be certified by
July 26, 2002. |
|
07/01 |
Proposed
Retail Choice Rules. On June 19,
2001, PUC issued for comment proposed rules for competitive retail
natural gas service and providers. Rules are modeled after those
developed for electric service. |
|
05/01 |
PUC
Report:Gas Price Issues, Winter
2000-01. Rising commodity prices caused some suppliers
to exit the program- difficult to compete with slower rising GCR and
to meet fixed contractual obligations. Difficulty maintaining rate
plan options - Number of rate plans offered and variety of options
decreased (fixed rate options, discounts off GCR rate). Variable
rate contracts introduced or only options remaining. Fewer marketers
- thus limiting choice and eroding consumer confidence in choice
programs. Also some scaled back or froze efforts to acquire new
customers. Enrollment problems - some enrollments delayed for more
than 3 months - also difficulty in changing back to LDC because of
enrollment cutoff date. |
|
03/01 |
Request for
Study of Natural Gas Price Issues. PUC directed staff to investigate the impact
of recent high prices on Ohio gas consumers and the natural gas
choice programs. Report request initiated in response to a petition
filed by the Ohio Consumers' Counsel in January 2001 and numerous
inquiries by the public and the Ohio General Assembly. |
|
12/99 |
Continuation
of Pilot Programs Approved, Cases 98-593-GA-COI, 98-594-GA-COI,
98-595-GA-COI, 98-1167-GA-COI, 99-661-GA-COI. PUC approved, with
conditions, the continuation of pilot customer choice programs for
Columbia Gas of Ohio, East Ohio Gas, and Cincinnati Gas and
Electric. One of the prominent conditions for approval is that the
PUC staff will develop a proposal, within 30 days, designed to
address complaints associated with door-to-door solicitations on the
part of marketers. Another concern is the lack of timely reporting
by marketers to PUC staff of rates for residential customers to be
included in the"Apples to Apples" comparison chart. PUC directed local distribution companies to make such
reporting a requirement for marketer participation in the
program. |
|
12/99 |
Columbia Gas
Pilot Extended, Cases 94-987-GA-AIR, 96-1113-GA-ATA,
98-222-GA-GCR, 97-122-GA-FOR. PUC approved a stipulation that,
among other things, extends Columbia Gas of Ohio's Customer Choice
program through October 2004, freezes Columbia's base rates through
October 2004, and establishes a process to address issues related to
merchant function, obligation to serve, and provider of last resort
roles and responsibilities. |
|
06/99 |
Staff Report:
Second Evaluation of Natural Gas Choice
Programs. Staff recommends that the East Ohio pilot
remain limited to a 10-county area for the 1999-2000 heating season
because of continuing computer problems. Recommends that the PUC
continue to provide marketer price comparisons and that marketers
who fail to provide timely information be excluded. Supports
incorporation of marketer conduct guidelines in LDCs' Code of
Conduct section of tariff filings. Endorses Columbia Gas's telephone
and Internet enrollment process as a model for other programs and
recommends improved enforcement of Codes of Conduct rather than
restricting door-to-door solicitations. Agrees with LDCs that under
existing law LDCs have sole right to propose changes to the gas cost
recovery (GCR) mechanism and other service modifications and that
the PUC cannot order companies to exit the merchant function; thus
recommends a forum approach for further discussion of issues
relating to GCR reform and obligation to serve. |
|
06/99 |
Investigation
of Code of Conduct Tariff Language, Case 99-661-GA-COI. The PUC approved interim
rules that would exclude or suspend marketers from participation in
retail choice programs if they violated existing codes of conduct.
Customers of noncomplying marketers would then return to being
bundled service customers of the LDC. |
|
01/99 |
Internet
Enrollment Allowed, Cases 98-549-GA-ATA. The PUC approved use of
the Internet for enrolling customers in Columbia Gas's retail choice
program. The enrollment must be initiated by the customer rather
than the marketer. Required safeguards include: a 7-day period
during which customers can cancel without penalty; written
confirmation of enrollment; and a secure encryption account number
code. |
|
06/98 |
Columbia Gas
Program Expanded, Cases 94-593-GA-COI et al. The PUC approved
expansion of Columbia Gas retail choice program to all its
residential and small business customers (1.3 million) during the
1998-99 winter and the continuation of the existing programs of East
Ohio Gas and Cincinnati Gas and Electric. Marketers may not sign up
new customers until August 1, 1998. |
|
01/98 |
Transition
Cost Recovery Mechanism Approved for Columbia
Gas,
Cases
94-987-GA-AIR and 96-113-GA-ATA. The PUC approved a transition cost
recovery mechanism for Columbia Gas that was proposed by a 13-member
collaborative representing consumers, government, industry, and PUC
staff and would take effect if Columbia Gas pilot is expanded
statewide. Base rates would remain the same until 2000. A 4-year
fund would be established from revenue from voluntary capacity
assignments, balancing services, interstate pipeline company
refunds, and some of the offsystem revenue to offset purchased
interstate pipeline and storage services that would be unneeded if
customers bought gas from marketers. Columbia would be "at risk" for
11 percent of its transition costs. Half the revenues from offsystem
sales that exceed $17.2 million in any of the next 4 years would be
allocated to the cost recovery mechanism and the other half would be
kept by Columbia. |
|
07/97 |
CG&E and
East Ohio Pilot Programs Approved, Cases 95-656-GA-AIR and 96-1019-GA-ATA. The
PUC approved 18-month pilot programs for Cincinnati Gas and
Electric (CG&E) and East Ohio Gas companies. All CG&E
residential and small business customers are eligible to
participate, while the East Ohio program covers customers in a
10-county area. After 1 year, the PUC decides whether or not East
Ohio's pilot should be expanded to a wider service territory. Both
companies must provide consumer education programs and continue as
suppliers of last resort. Under the East Ohio settlement, upstream
pipeline and storage capacity would be assigned to the marketer on a
pro-rata basis; if the assignment was below a set level, East Ohio
would use the capacity for its core market and the marketer would
have to obtain alternative capacity. Part of the assigned storage
capacity could be remarketed. |
|
03/97 |
Rules Adopted
To Implement Alternative Regulation
Legislation, Case 96-700-GA-ORD. The PUC adopted rules to
implement the Natural Gas Alternative Regulation Law. The rules
allow LDCs to apply to the Commission for the opportunity to compete
directly with marketers for supplies, allowing the general public to
benefit from an array of natural gas suppliers. The rules also
require a natural gas company to adopt a "code of conduct" to
demonstrate how it is guarding against cross subsidies or other
anticompetitive actions. |
|
01/97 |
Columbia Gas
Pilot Approved, Case 96-1113-GA-ATA. The PUC approved
Columbia Gas of Ohio's request to operate a pilot choice program for
natural gas residential and small business customers (using less
than 2 million cubic feet (MMcf) per year) in the Toledo area. The
program begins in April 1997 and is open to all marketers who agree
to participate in Columbia's aggregation service. Participating
marketers must have at least 200 residential customers or a group of
commercial customers with annual throughput of at least 2 MMcf.
Marketers will be charged a daily balancing fee if they do not take
storage and upstream capacity from Columbia. |