Consumers Energy is now awaiting review and deliberation of the plan by interested parties and will then seek the approval of the MPSC of a revised restructuring plan. The Commission directed Detroit Edison to file a plan for meeting this capacity need by April 24, 1998. The order reiterated a finding from an earlier order directing the utility to implement a retail wheeling experiment covering 90 MW of load and approved the experiment as a way of meeting the capacity need. The PUC is also involved in a state Supreme Court case determining whether PSNH is correct in its assumption that regulators violated the Constitution by opening service territories while limiting stranded cost recovery. Briefs and oral arguments in the case are due at the end of May.
Parties involved in the talks hope to reach a resolution by the end of the year.
There are about 20 ESCOs registered with the New York State Public Service Commission. All customers of Con Edison will have the option of retail choice by 2001. An updated version of an electric deregulation draft plan prepared by the Public Utility Commission states that if utilities are allowed to securitize their strandable assets, it could reduce their recovery costs to state ratepayers. It also indicates that the later deregulation begins in Texas, the lower the amount of those strandable assets will be. The draft will be sent to the state legislature in final report form within ten days.