Dive Brief:
- Four FirstEnergy Corp. utilities in Pennsylvania have filed plans with state regulators to procure electric generation supply beginning June 2019 for customers who choose not to shop with alternate suppliers.
- The utilities, Metropolitan Edison, Pennsylvania Electric, Pennsylvania Power and West Penn Power, do not own generation and will use an auction process to secure energy for approximately 2 million customers.
- Over the summer, the state's energy choice program shrunk slightly, registering a net decline of 4,800 in the number of customers choosing a competitive supply option.
Dive Insight:
While FirstEnergy's Pennsylvania utilities do not own generation plants, yesterday they informed state regulators of their plans to meet customer demand.
The utilities' procurement process will be managed by CRA International Inc., and will include multiple auctions with generation prices calculated based on a blended average by customer class. The first auction will be held between Oct. 20 and Nov. 20, 2018, with others scheduled in January, April and June of 2019.
FirstEnergy also said that its proposed program has a process for meeting state-mandated alternative energy standards, including a separate bidding process to meet a portion of the solar energy requirements through two requests for proposals for two-year contracts for the purchase of solar Renewable Energy Credits.
The utilities also aim to continue their Customer Referral Program, established four years ago to help enhance retail competition in their service territories.
