Effort to Open Retail Energy Market in California Gains Strength

Twenty-one new petitioners have joined the effort to lift the existing suspension of consumers’ right to choose electricity suppliers. In light of that continued growth, an amendment to the petition submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in December has been filed. The amendment formalizes the original alliance under the name, the Alliance for Cooperative Energy Solutions (“ACES”) and adds the twenty-one new supporters to the original list of petitioners.

Thirty-eight petitioners and 147 supporters were listed on the original petition. This addition brings the total to 206. The petitioners and supporter groups include a wide range of public and private entities and vary from small to multi-national organizations. They all seek to reestablish the right to energy choice currently denied to all but a few existing direct access customers.

“We’re very pleased to have this additional support and have every reason to believe the support base will grow as the public hears about the issue,” said Norman Plotkin, Executive Director, Alliance for Retail Energy Markets (AReM), a member group. “The suspension of the retail energy market has implications to every business and industry in California. Essentially, economic growth has been hamstrung by the suspension. It’s critical we act to change this situation as soon as possible.”