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PUC Staff and Consultant Respond to Utilities Minimum Stay and TOU Questions
On April 6, 2026 the Maine PUC posts Staff’s and Consultant’s responses to questions from the electric utilities regarding the implementation of the time of use (TOU) straw proposals including minimum stay requirements and potential implications on shopping and non-shopping customers.
Maine utilities had posed several questions to Staff to assist in developing cost estimates for implementing TOU rates. See docket link for full set of questions and answers.
CMP Question – “Customers have a 12-month stay requirement after active choice.” Does this requirement pertain to the delivery TOU, supply TOU, or both? If both, does that mean that customers enrolled in the SOP [Standard Offer Provider] TOU option would be prohibited, for a 12-month period, from participating in the Competitive Electricity market once they elect SOP TOU?”
Staff Answer – Both (consistent with other states) that indicates that a minimum stay would apply to supply under the straw proposal but the response but did not explicitly state whether the minimum stay would require a customer to remain on SOS.
CMP Question – “Residential customers are not currently required to stay with a SOP or a CEP [retail provider] for a minimum period of time. Would CMP be required to code its billing system and/or develop a process to prohibit customers from switching between SOP TOU, CEP, and SOP over a continuous 12-month period?”
Staff Answer – “For the purposes of developing cost estimates, assume that CMP will develop a process to implement the stay requirement.” . . . “Neither Straw proposal includes support for CEP TOU rates. Customers electing CEP supply will be treated as ‘opting out’ of TOU supply. The changes contemplated in Straw #1 apply only to Standard Offer Service.”
See docket link for full set of questions and answers.
