Regulator: End of Default Service Would Likely Be Considered In"Utility of the Future" Proceeding
July 29,2015
If the Illinois Commerce Commission opens a "utility of the future" proceeding, the structure of default service, including its potential elimination, would likely be discussed in such proceeding, ICC Commissioner Ann McCabe said during a media call discussing the Annual Baseline Assessment of Choice in Canada and the United States
Asked about the ABACCUS recommendation to end default service, McCabe said, "That's subject to discussion. If we pursue some kind of 'utility of the future' initiative, that will be one of the questions likely to be addressed."
Illinois is unique in that its original restructuring statute allows utilities to seek competitive declarations of customer classes once migration thresholds have been met, where the obligation to provide fixed default service would be terminated (replaced with hourly pricing). The mid-to-large C&I classes have been declared competitive (100+ kW at ComEd, 150+ kW at Ameren) and do not receive traditional fixed price default service, instead receiving hourly pricing.
The ComEd and Ameren residential and small C&I migration thresholds for a competitive declaration have been met, though no competitive declaration has been sought