Public Service Commission directs BGE, Potomac Edison to report attempted enrollments; pauses automated 'do not transfer' blocks

The Public Service Commission on Aug. 27 accepted staff and Office of People’s Counsel recommendations that Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. (BGE) and Potomac Edison not implement automated blocks to prevent retail suppliers from enrolling customers listed on utilities’ do-not-transfer lists — at least for now — and directed the utilities to provide monthly reporting of any attempted supplier enrollments.

Staff said the retail supply market for residential customers is dormant and that the cost to build full automation is large relative to current demand. BGE estimated an automated enrollment block would cost roughly $400,000 (plus or minus 25%) for gas and electric; an online account opt-in/opt-out function would cost about $3.9 million; and BGE has already spent about $1.5 million implementing other do-not-transfer list requirements, with about $200,000 outstanding to automate secure supplier access to the list. Staff recommended a lower-cost, partial automation and monthly reporting of attempted enrollments through existing PC-67 reporting.

The Office of People’s Counsel told the commission it agreed with staff’s recommendation and supported requiring BGE to rely on call-center validation rather than implementing high-cost website enrollment options now. BGE said it supports staff and OPC recommendations and described the $200,000 request as work to transfer the do-not-transfer list to an existing secure supplier website so suppliers can access the list securely rather than receive it by email.

Commissioners pressed staff and BGE on the accounting and prudency of prior spending. Commissioners were told BGE spent roughly $1.5 million to implement statutory requirements to date and that the requested $200,000 would fund secure website transfer functionality. Staff said it did not object to allowing BGE to record implementation costs in a regulatory asset for future review but emphasized that any decision on cost recovery, prudency and a rate of return should be deferred to a future rate case.

Potomac Edison presented similar filings and staff recommended the same approach: accept the utilities’ decision not to implement automated enrollment blocks now, require reporting of attempted enrollments, and support lower‑cost partial automation. Representatives for Potomac Edison said their supplier portal already exists and that incremental changes were the primary remaining work.

The commission’s motion to accept staff’s recommendations — not to require automated enrollment blocks at this time, to direct reporting of attempted retail supplier enrollments, and to direct completion of lower-cost partial automation — passed with all commissioners voting aye.

The commission took the separate question of immediate regulatory return treatment under advisement and clarified on the record that allowing a utility to establish a regulatory asset does not, by itself, approve immediate rate-of-return treatment or prudency for cost recovery; those issues will be reviewed in a future rate case.

Why it matters: the do-not-transfer list is intended to protect customers from unwanted supplier enrollments; the commission’s decision balances customer-protection goals against implementation costs and the currently low level of retail supplier activity.

Votes at a glance: The motion to accept staff’s recommendation and to direct the reporting and partial automation was approved (Commission Chair Hoover — aye; Commissioner McLean — aye; Commissioner Linton — aye; Commissioner Sussman — aye; Commissioner Barbet — aye).