New Law Signed in Maryland Require Public Service Commission to Prepare Status Report on Consumer Protections Regarding Retail Electricity and Gas Service
April 14, 2014
On April 8, 2014, Maryland’s Governor signed a bill into law that requires the Public Service Commission (“Commission”) to submit a status report to the General Assembly of its efforts to provide protections for consumers in connection with retail gas and electric supply. The Commission has been tasked with convening a stakeholder group of interested persons, including suppliers, to address information and recommendations that should be included in the report. Essential issues to be addressed in the report include:
- Whether individuals who sell or facilitate the sale of retail electricity or gas contracts should be licensed
- The adequacy of the Commission’s current retail electricity and gas customer choice consumer protection regulations
- Whether to impose additional safeguards for the verification of retail electric or gas contracts
Similar to other states, there has been increased scrutiny in Maryland regarding the pricing and marketing activities of competitive retail energy suppliers. Competitive suppliers in Maryland specifically need to be cautious when engaging in telemarketing as there are Maryland-unique requirements that must be followed. This stakeholder process may be a good opportunity to provide insight about these and other relevant issues.
The Commission must provide its recommendations to the General Assembly by January 1, 2015. The full text of the law is available here.
This Eckert Seamans Energy and Utilities Blog is intended to keep readers current on matters affecting businesses and is not intended to be legal advice. If you have any questions about the content of this post, please contact Deanne O’Dell at dodell@eckertseamans.com; (717) 237-3744, or Sarah Stoner at sstoner@eckertseamans.com, (717) 237-6026.