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Commission and Division discuss rushed comment schedule for Enbridge docket
Summary
Commissioner John Delaney asked the Division whether the scheduling order gave adequate time to prepare initial comments. Division witness Eric Orton said the schedule was "truncated" and "rushed" to allow a commission order before the holidays but that the Division nonetheless completed an adequate review.
During the Nov. 20, 2025 virtual hearing in Docket 25-057-23, Presiding Officer John Delaney questioned the Division of Public Utilities about the interval between the scheduling conference and the deadline for the Division’s initial comments. Delaney said he was concerned the period might have been shortened and asked whether the Division felt rushed.
Eric Orton, a utility technical consultant for the Division, said the interval was "truncated" and "rushed" because the parties and Division sought to have a Commission order issued before the holidays. He added, however, that the Division had put in extra time over the few days in question and did not consider the schedule so shortened that it prevented an adequate review. “It was not overly rushed such that we don't feel we did an adequate job,” Orton said.
Delaney urged parties to avoid agreeing to schedules they cannot meet and said the Commission will work with parties to resolve calendar conflicts when necessary. The exchange focused on procedural timing; no change to the schedule was made at the hearing.
Next steps: no immediate procedural action was taken; the Division will proceed with its audit and the Commission indicated willingness to revisit schedules in future dockets if the parties identify conflicts.
