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.
TELECOM
California
The PUC has scheduled a Prehearing Conference in its proceeding regarding revisions to the California Universal Telephone Service (LifeLine) Program. At the hearing the PUC will receive comment from all parties, members of the Low Income Oversight Board, and the public regarding the prioritization of outstanding issues remaining from Phase I, excluding issues related to VoIP, and other issues for consideration during Phase II of this rulemaking. This hearing will be held on May 28, 2015, in the Sacramento City Hall Council Chambers, 915 “I” Street, Sacramento, California 95815.
Pennsylvania
Governor Tom Wolf has nominated Andrew Place, corporate director for energy and environmental policy at EQT Corporation, to serve as commissioner on the Public Utility Commission. “Andrew Place brings the knowledge and expertise to help advance my vision for the PUC, and I am pleased to nominate him to serve as commissioner,” said Governor Wolf. “We must ensure there is a balance between consumers and utilities. We also have to develop Pennsylvania’s abundance of energy resources to make sure we have the infrastructure to support the natural gas and other energy industries. We have real opportunities to make Pennsylvania a leader in the development of renewable energy and energy efficiencies, and Andrew’s know-how will be a big asset to the PUC in helping accomplish these goals. I would like to thank Jim Cawley for his service as commissioner and I wish him well.”
ENERGY
US Congress
The Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power will hold a hearing today entitled “Discussion Draft Addressing Energy Reliability and Security.” Click here to see the Hearing Memo. The following issues may be examined at the hearing:
- Potential impacts on grid reliability resulting from conflicting Federal laws;
- Threats facing the bulk power system, including physical attacks, cyber attacks, and electromagnetic pulse and geomagnetic storms;
- Current efforts to address threats to the bulk power system;
- Improving information sharing between government agencies, owners and operators of the bulk power system, and other stakeholders;
- Role of reliable generation resources in regulated and restructured electricity markets; and
- Emerging advanced grid technologies, such as combined heat and power, energy storage, microgrids, and energy analytics.
