New York looks at POLR and impact on markets

New York looks at POLR
and impact on markets

New York regulators have a vision of a POLR policy that promotes choice, value and innovation and scales back its regulatory role -- depending on the competitiveness of the market.
     Getting there will take developing robust retail markets with a variety of choices for customers.
     The PSC is looking to lessen, or in some cases eliminate, the dominant position of utilities, the PSC wrote in asking for comments.
     The commission has provided for data exchange among market players, consumer protection, unbundling prices and billing -- and sees its role as "continuing to remove barriers to competition" while creating a level playing field.
     Comments, due March 22 (case 0-M-0504), should address how the PSC can encourage choice and whether elements of Orange & Rockland Utilities (O&R) "Switch and Save" program could be used elsewhere in the state.
     Switch and Save lets marketers offer pricing discounts for two months to new utility customers and turns every call to the utility into an opportunity to shop.
     O&R provides consolidated billing and buys marketers' receivables.
     How should the POLR concept be handled?
Regulators are exploring an auction to give small business and residential customers more price stability than C&Is -- possibly by contracting some supply on longer terms.
     New York too, like Massachusetts, wants to determine who should be responsible for supplying upstream gas pipeline capacity. (Story originally published in Restructuring Today 2/5/04)