The Public Service Commission approved Potomac Edison Company’s request to draw $177,474 from its program investigation, design and development budget to resume the Clean Energy Advantage (CEA) residential lending pilot through Dec. 31, 2025.

Charles Herbert, presenting for staff, summarized the pilot’s history: the commission previously authorized $2.9 million in EMPOWER funds to the CEA pilot (Order No. 89855) and later extended the pilot and approved finance workgroup recommendations (Orders 90919 and 91214), including program changes such as lowering the credit score threshold from 640 to 580, increasing the loan-loss reserve (from 6% to at least 10%) and raising the individual loan cap from $35,000 to $50,000. Herbert said geothermal projects drove faster-than-expected approvals in 2024 and Potomac Edison exhausted its allocation in that territory.

Potomac Edison requested $177,474 to be reallocated from its PID budget, with 63% of that amount to be used for an interest-rate buy-down and 37% for the loan-loss reserve; staff concluded that the request is a prudent use of the PID budget and recommended approval. Nicole Zeitner of the Office of People’s Counsel told the commission OPC supports the request and urged quick acceptance to maintain program momentum and reach limited-income and credit-challenged customers.

Jessica Grama, representing Potomac Edison, offered to answer questions but did not provide additional data on total participant counts at the hearing; she said the company had several projects in the pipeline when funds were exhausted and that MCEC and MCGB’s ineligibility decision for geothermal projects was a factor. Commissioners asked about program scope and the effect of lowering credit thresholds; staff and company representatives said some program-level data would appear in periodic reporting but exact participant totals were not on hand at the meeting. The commission voted to approve the budget reallocation on a unanimous voice vote.