Posted on 12/18/2003 10:42:16 PM PST by lewislynn
AUSTIN -- The Public Utility Commission wants more information before allowing Reliant Energy Retail Services to more actively compete for small-business customers.
The commission had been expected to make a decision on Thursday. Instead, it set a Dec. 30 hearing to get updated market information.
"The commission wants to have the best information available up to the end of the year," said Terry Hadley, a PUC spokesman.
Reliant Energy Retail Services, a subsidiary of Reliant Resources, said it has lost 40 percent of its small commercial customers to competitors.
If the commission finds it has reached that threshold, then Reliant could lower its rates.
If the PUC finds that Reliant hasn't met the trigger, the company could be required to refund some money to customers, Hadley said.
The state's deregulation law required established utilities to keep rates frozen in their home-base markets to allow new electric providers room to compete.
Electric competition began in Texas two years ago.
Reliant spokesman Pat Hammond said the company will be filing additional data and it hopes to get the issue resolved by the end of the year.
Other companies seeking pricing freedom are TXU and two subsidiaries of American Electric Power. The commission did find that Texas-New Mexico Power, based in Fort Worth, has reached the threshold.
State hearing examiners have recommended that the PUC reject the rate petitions because the companies incorrectly included new customers in their calculations.
Reliant has gained small-business customers outside of the Houston area, where it has been free to charge lower prices.
Small commercial customers are businesses using less than 1 megawatt of electricity at peak demand.
Other companies seeking pricing freedom are TXU and two subsidiaries of American Electric Power
State hearing examiners have recommended that the PUC reject the rate petitions because the companies incorrectly included new customers in their calculations.
Electric competition began in Texas two years ago
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