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Mark Your Calendar – Municipal Aggregation Next Steps
A Massachusetts hearing officer issues a memorandum regarding next steps following the Municipal Aggregation technical session in the investigation by the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) on its own Motion into Establishing Guidelines for Municipal Aggregation Proceedings.)
The Department requests that the Consultants: (1) circulate their Proposal to the D.P.U. 23-67 distribution list by January 12, 2024; and (2) identify the entities that participated in drafting their Proposal.
In an effort to develop broad consensus across the various stakeholders, the Department will convene a stakeholder working group to discuss the Consultants’ Proposal, as well as other issues that stakeholders seek to raise. Participation in the working group will be open to all interested stakeholders. The Department will announce the initial meeting of the working group at a later date.
From the Hearing Examiner Memo:
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On August 15, 2023, the Department of Public Utilities (“Department”) issued an Order opening an investigation into establishing guidelines for municipal aggregation proceedings, D.P.U. 23-67. The Department requested written comment on its proposed draft guidelines and template plan. Initial and reply comments were filed on or before October 6, 2023, and November 6, 2023, respectively.
Several commenters argued that the Department should revise its approach to afford more discretion to municipalities by allowing communities to make their own decisions, including setting rates and accepting responsibility for operational details. On December 20, 2023, the Department conducted a technical session to discuss the comments received in response to the Department’s Order (November 15, 2023, Hearing Officer Memorandum). The discussion during the technical session was guided by an example developed by Department staff of what Department oversight of municipal aggregation proceedings with increased municipal discretion may entail (December 13, 2023, Hearing Officer Memorandum).
At the end of the technical session, representatives from the municipal aggregation consultants (“Consultants”) (Colonial Power Group, Inc., Good Energy, L.P., and MassPowerChoice, LLC) offered to develop a revised set of proposed guidelines (“Proposal”) that reflect the stakeholders’ discussion during the technical session as well as the comments submitted in this proceeding. The Consultants stated that they expect to be able to distribute their Proposal to stakeholders by January 12, 2024.
The Department appreciates and accepts the Consultants’ offer in this matter. The Department requests that the Consultants: (1) circulate their Proposal to the D.P.U. 23-67 distribution list by January 12, 2024; and (2) identify the entities that participated in drafting their Proposal.
In an effort to develop broad consensus across the various stakeholders, the Department will convene a stakeholder working group to discuss the Consultants’ Proposal, as well as other issues that stakeholders seek to raise. Participation in the working group will be open to all interested stakeholders. The Department will announce the initial meeting of the working group at a later date. {***}
23-67HOMemoTechSessionNextSteps.pdf (12/22/2023)
D.P.U. 23-67. 08/15/2023)
(Investigation by DPU on its own Motion into Establishing Guidelines for Municipal Aggregation Proceedings.)
