AMI

The Illinois Commerce Commission accepted an annual report filed by Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) documenting its efforts to implement its advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) plan, including steps taken by the utility to educate customers on the upcoming deployment of the smart meters. Earlier in June, the commission had approved a revised schedule for installation of 60,000 new meters in ComEd’s service area beginning in the third quarter of 2013.

The Michigan Public Service Commission, concerned that existing consumer privacy policies were not expansive enough and were disproportionately directed at customer data collected through advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) equipment, amended its privacy policies to assure that all customer usage information possessed by the state’s energy utilities, and not just that collected via AMI, would be protected. The commission explained that as metering and billing technologies evolve, so, too, must customer privacy practices adapt. (Case No.

The Michigan Public Service Commission (PSC) authorized Detroit Edison to implement an AMI opt-out program. The commission approved the specifics of the opt-out proposal submitted by the utility, except that it reduced the associated charges recommended by the company, finding that the company’s forecasted participation rate was too low. For complete regulatory coverage, citations, and analysis, subscribe to Utility Regulatory News http://www.fortnightly.com/urn-subscribe

The District of Columbia Public Service Commission (PSC) has denied a request by the city’s public advocate, the Office of People’s Counsel (OPC), to reconsider an earlier decision in which the commission had rejected calls for it to require Potomac Electric Power Co. (Pepco) to offer its customers a chance to opt out of an ongoing AMI program. For complete regulatory coverage, citations, and analysis, subscribe to Utility Regulatory News http://www.fortnightly.com/urn-subscribe

The Arizona Corporation Commission has reopened the record in a pending docket on advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to examine safety and health concerns regarding smart meters. In so doing, the commission said it was particularly interested in seeing any health studies that have been conducted since the evidentiary phase of the case had closed. The commission related that such submissions would help it determine if there was a compelling reason to continue the fact-gathering process before proceeding to the deliberations phase.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) upheld an initial decision by an administrative law judge (ALJ) issued in January, which had recommended that Xcel Energy subsidiary Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCC) be denied any further rate recovery of SmartGridCity costs. The commission said the utility had been given ample opportunity to prove the prudence of the rising costs of the project but that the company had failed to do so.