The Georgia House and Senate passed bills this week that changethe the states deregulation program for the first time since itsinception in 1998. The changes, however, are a far shot from there-regulation that some legislators including Georgia Sen. ReginaThomas (D-Savannah) had sought (see Daily GPI, March 5).

SB 217 and HB 665 — which have been voted out of the Senateand the House respectively — basically solidify consumers’ rightsthat were already implemented by the Georgia Public ServiceCommission (GPSC) in the end of January (see Daily GPI, Jan. 25).The most important provision in the bills would allow consumers toswitch marketers at least once a year without incurring any servicecharges from switching to an alternative marketer. In a lateJanuary meeting, the GPSC approved that very same rule.

“They are just codifying some of the rules that we already hadmade in several areas,” said GPSC Chairman Lauren “Bubba” McDonald.

Other rules within the pending legislation that affects theGeorgia market include: limiting the amount of deposit that amarketer may require from a retail customer; providing for refundsof deposits under certain conditions; requiring the GPSC to havepublished at least quarterly in newspapers throughout the state asummary of the price per therm and any other amounts charged toretail customers by each marketer operating in the state and anyadditional information which the commission deems appropriate;authorizing the GPSC to adopt rules and regulations relating topricing information applicable to gas marketers and billingpractices and customer services of such marketers; and providingother billing requirements for marketers.

“Some of it changes the deposit [level] that a marketer canrequire and I have some concerns about that,” said McDonald. “Thefact that those that don’t pay their bills gets passed on to thosethat pay their bills. That is one of the areas of concern in thelegislation. Another area that can have an impact on the cost ofdoing business is requiring a marketer to have an office in thestate. It’s an expense. If I as a consumer want to do business withsomebody that is in Texas that does business all over theworld….. then so be it.” If they offer better prices and servicebut don’t have an office in Georgia, the consumer has access to thefacts and can make the choice that is right for them, he said.

As for Georgia SB 87 to re-regulate the Georgia natural gasmarket, McDonald said “That’s not going anywhere, it is just asmokescreen.”

Sen. Thomas told NGI last week that she believes the only way toremedy deregulation’s problems is to re-regulate the market and letAtlanta Gas Light go back to the drawing board to work out thekinks. Whereas she agreed that SB 87 is not going anywhere, shesaid she will continue to work to re-regulate the Georgia market.

At the GPSC’s meeting earlier this week the commission votedunanimously to raise the low-income limit from its current $10,000a year level to $12,000 a year. Commissioner Robert Baker, Jr.asked the staff to prepare a proposal at the last commissionmeeting. The current mark has not been altered since 1988 (seeDaily GPI, Feb. 23).

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