WASHINGTON & BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Energy Marketers Association (NEM) convened its inaugural Mid-Atlantic Energy Policy Summit this week at The Center Club in Baltimore, Maryland. The Summit gathered government officials and energy industry stakeholders to discuss the winter 2014 polar vortex event and wholesale and retail energy markets in the Mid-Atlantic states. State Public Service Commission Chairs and Commissioners from the Mid-Atlantic/PJM region, including Maryland PSC Commissioners Lawrence Brenner and Anne Hoskins, District of Columbia PSC Chair Betty Ann Kane, Delaware PSC Chair Dallas Winslow, North Carolina UC Chair Edward Finley, Pennsylvania PUC Commissioner James Cawley, and New Jersey BPU Commissioner Joseph Fiordaliso reviewed the significant regulatory and legislative developments affecting retail energy choice in their states with a particular emphasis on consumer protection measures considered in reaction to the winter event.
PJM officials, Andrew Ott and Stu Bresler, and PJM’s independent Market Monitor, Joseph Bowring, reviewed the winter 2014 polar vortex event and its effects on the wholesale electric market and also explained PJM’s recently released Capacity Performance Product Proposal and Demand Response Thought Paper. On day one of the Summit, NEM members voiced their concerns with the proposals and incompatibility with the structure and functioning of retail energy markets.
Mr. Ott made two major announcements from PJM on day two of the Summit intended to provide increased certainty to the market. Ott announced that PJM had decided to petition to retain its settled markets as they are through May 2018, including demand response. Ott additionally announced that PJM would defer changing the rules for demand response participation pending a potential Supreme Court decision on the EPSA case.
“There are many competing challenges to balance in crafting a solution to address the wholesale market problems in PJM that were revealed this January, and we appreciate PJM’s willingness to continue to explore the best competitively neutral response,” said Craig Goodman, President of NEM. “We support PJM’s decision to defer changing demand response participation rules. NEM supports FERC’s exercise of jurisdiction over demand response in Order 745. We also believe that any demand response proposal must appropriately value demand response during peak pricing,” said Goodman.
About the National Energy Marketers Association (NEM):
NEM is a national, non-profit trade association representing wholesale and retail marketers of natural gas, electricity, as well as energy and financial related products, services, information and advanced technologies throughout the United States, Canada and the European Union. For additional information and to register for the Mid-Atlantic Energy Policy Summit please visit the NEM Website at www.energymarketers.com.
