The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court, issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of a TMI Regulatory Bulletin.
ENERGY
OHIO
The PUC has filed amended Metering and Advanced Metering Opt-out Rules (Chapter 4901:1-10) with JCARR. The amendments include several new definitions, such as advanced meter, advanced meter opt-out service, and traditional meter. A new section, Advanced Meter Opt-out Service, has been added to the rules. The amendments will provide customers with the option to remove an installed advanced meter and replace it with a traditional meter, as well as the option to decline installation of an advanced meter and retain a traditional meter. The rule also requires the electric utilities to file a cost-based tariff to recover the costs of advanced meter opt-out service. Watch for TMI Energy Bulletin.
TELECOM
FCC
The FCC has changed the date of its April Open Meeting from April 24, 2014 to April 23, 2014.
The FCC has asked for comment by April 3, 2014, on a petition filed the National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc. (NECA) on behalf of its rate-of-return member carriers seeking an expedited waiver of section 51.909(a)(4) of the FCC’s Rules. That rule requires NECA to adjust its pool switched access rate caps to reflect changes when carriers enter or exit NECA’s Traffic Sensitive Pool. NECA is asking the FCC to waive application of the rule for the 2014-2015 tariff period. NECA states that a waiver would avoid the need for tariff revisions at the federal and state levels required to effectuate de minimis changes in rates associated with 2014 pool election changes and will better serve the public interest than strict enforcement for the upcoming year.
Colorado
The PUC has issued an order directing rate-jurisdictional telecommunications service providers to send the annual customer education notice describing the “Colorado Universal Service Charge” rate element. Providers must complete the required customer education notice in the first billing cycle of the third quarter of 2014. TMI Regulatory Bulletin Service subscribers see Colorado Bulletin dated 3/18/14.