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TITLE 16ECONOMIC REGULATION
PART 2PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS
CHAPTER 25SUBSTANTIVE RULES APPLICABLE TO ELECTRIC SERVICE PROVIDERS
SUBCHAPTER PPILOT PROJECTS
RULE §25.431Retail Competition Pilot Projects

subparagraph (E) of this paragraph. No later than April 6, 2001, the utility shall make the list of ESIs eligible for the pilot project publicly available through its pilot project Internet website.

        (III) Oversubscription for the other customer class as defined in subsection (d)(2)(e) of this section. If the total combined load of all aggregation packets submitted for the other class exceeds the 1.0% set-aside as of April 2, 2001, then the utility shall use a lottery to determine the aggregation participant list for this class. Aggregation packets eligible for the aggregation participant list shall be selected by the utility by April 5, 2001. As each aggregation packet is selected through the lottery, the energy in kilowatt-hours for that ESI used to determine the size of the customer class shall be subtracted from the total amount of energy available for the 1.0% set-aside. Aggregation packets shall be selected until none of the 1.0% set-aside is left. If the last aggregation packet selected causes the 1.0% set-aside to be exceeded, the selection of the final aggregation packet for the class shall be done in accordance with subparagraph (E) of this paragraph. No later than April 6, 2001, the utility shall make the list of ESIs eligible for the pilot project for the class publicly available through its pilot project Internet website.

    (E) Non-residential customer classes oversubscription lottery selection of last aggregation packet. If the final aggregation packet chosen in a customer class lottery causes the 1.0% set-aside for that customer class to be exceeded by more than 10%, that is, if that aggregation packet increases the size of the customer class to greater than 1.1%, that aggregation packet shall be rejected and another aggregation packet shall be chosen if available. If no other aggregation packet is available to fill each non-residential customer class without exceeding the 10% overage limit, that remaining increment of capacity set-aside will not be subscribed, but will be added to the amount of available capacity for aggregation for that non-residential customer class and will be available on a first come, first served basis. An aggregation packet that does not exceed the 10% overage limit will be allowed. When the results of the oversubscription lottery are posted by the utility, the utility shall also make publicly available the information concerning this available capacity through its pilot project Internet website.

    (F) Contract notification due date for non-residential customer classes. By May 21, 2001, a REP must submit verification of executed supply contracts with ESIs and associated zip code to the utility. Any ESI that has not been validated by a REP by this date will relinquish its reserved allotment on the aggregation participant list. The relinquished allotment will then be available for aggregation in that customer class on a first come, first served basis.

    (G) Notification of executed contract for non-residential customer classes. The REP shall document the existence of an executed contract for service by electronically submitting a list of ESIs representing executed contracts to the utility. The utility may rely on receipt of this list as proof of the existence of an executed contract. The REP shall file a signed affidavit with the commission attesting to the accuracy of the ESIs on the list.

    (H) Electronic submissions by aggregators. All submittals required by this section by aggregators to a utility shall be made in electronic format using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet using a spreadsheet template posted on the utility's pilot project Internet website. A utility will post its templates by January 31, 2001.

    (I) New ESIs. For an ESI that was not included in the calculation in paragraph (3)(A) of this subsection, hereinafter called a new ESI, the customer's ESI load shall be determined as follows:

      (i) For the non-residential non-demand metered classes, a new ESI shall count as one ESI against the total number of ESIs.

      (ii) For the demand-metered classes, the demand allocated to a new ESI shall be 95% of the utility-estimated demand for the new ESI.

      (iii) For the other class as defined in subsection (d)(2)(E) of this section, the energy allocated to a new ESI shall be 95% of the utility-estimated annual kilowatt-hours for the new ESI.

(h) Transmission and distribution rates and tariffs.

  (1) Utilities within ERCOT. In connection with a utility's pilot project, the utility shall provide transmission service and distribution service in accordance with the rates for non-bypassable delivery charges approved by the commission, on an interim basis for application during the utility's pilot project, in the utility's unbundled cost of service case filed pursuant to PURA §39.201. Notwithstanding the provisions of §22.125 of this title (relating to Interim Relief), such interim rates shall not be subject to surcharge or refund if the rates ultimately established differ from the interim rates.

  (2) Utilities outside of ERCOT.

    (A) Jurisdiction of other regulatory bodies. Processes utilized by non-ERCOT participants shall support the settlement of traditional wholesale markets and shall conform to all Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rules and regulations.

    (B) Transmission service. In connection with a utility's pilot project, the utility shall provide transmission service in accordance with the rates and delivery charges approved by the FERC. A utility in transition to an independent transmission company (ITC) model shall maintain on file with the commission a copy of its current FERC-approved open access transmission tariff (OATT), as well as any proposed amendments to the OATT submitted to FERC.

    (C) Distribution service. In connection with a utility's pilot project, the utility shall provide distribution service in accordance with the rates for non-bypassable delivery charges approved by the commission, on an interim basis for application during the utility's pilot project, in the utility's unbundled cost of service case filed pursuant to PURA §39.201. Notwithstanding the provisions of §22.125 of this title, such interim rates shall not be subject to surcharge or refund if the rates ultimately established differ from the interim rates.

  (3) Approval of tariffs. Tariffs implementing pilot project rates must be filed within ten days following the commission's determination of those rates. The commission shall approve such tariffs by May 31, 2001, and may do so administratively.

(i) Billing requirements.

  (1) A utility shall bill a customer's REP for non-bypassable delivery charges in accordance with the tariffs established pursuant to subsection (h) of this section. The REP must pay these charges.

  (2) A REP shall be responsible for ensuring that its retail customers are billed for electric service provided. A utility may bill retail customers at the request of a REP, provided that any such billing service shall be offered by the utility on comparable terms and conditions for any requesting REP.

(j) Evaluation of the pilot projects by the commission; reporting. The commission shall evaluate the pilot projects and the operational readiness of each power region, including its support systems, for customer choice.

  (1) Evaluation criteria.

    (A) Criteria for determining the readiness of a power region for customer choice may include the following:

      (i) whether a power region's operational support systems were tested, and any problems that surfaced during the pilot project were adequately rectified;

      (ii) whether electric system reliability was significantly affected in an adverse way; and

      (iii) any other criteria the commission determines appropriate.

    (B) Criteria for determining whether commission rules may need modifications or whether certain aspects of retail competition may require more detailed monitoring by the commission may include the following:

      (i) whether participants in the pilot projects represented a broad base of customers of diverse demographic characteristics;

      (ii) whether customers were aware of their rights and responsibilities with respect to customer choice, and whether such awareness increased for customers as a whole over the duration of the pilot projects;

      (iii) whether a broad range of electric services and products were offered;

      (iv) whether the quality of customer service with respect to retail customers was affected; and

      (v) any other criteria the commission determines appropriate.

  (2) Information used for evaluation of pilot projects. Evaluation of the pilot projects shall be based on information including, but not limited to:

    (A) reports filed in accordance with paragraph (3) of this subsection;

    (B) surveys of retail customers conducted in connection with the commission's customer education program; and

Cont'd...

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