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
Maine
The PUC has approved the annual plan for spending by the Maine Telecommunications Education Access Fund (MTEAF) for the 2015/2016 fiscal year. The contribution rate for contributions to the MTEAF by voice network service providers will remain at 0.7%. The plan includes the one-time cost of replacing aging network routers and related circuit equipment in order to meet the need for increased bandwidth by schools and libraries across the State.
ENERGY
Pennsylvania
The PUC announced the implementation of a five-year third phase of the Act 129 Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EE&C) programs, requiring additional, incremental reductions in consumption and peak demand for Pennsylvania’s largest EDCs. The PUC’s Order addresses issues related to the design and implementation of a five-year phase of the Act 129 EE&C Program that will operate from June 1, 2016, through May 31, 2021. (Current EE&C plans are valid through May 31, 2016.) Commissioner Powelson believes “that EDCs should consider implementing pilot programs to further study potential benefits of on-bill financing and on-bill repayment.” In addition he said that as the Legislature debates proposed changes to Act 129, everyone should “consider including decoupling measures in the list of available options for moving Pennsylvania’s energy future forward.”