Interactive

California regulators Thursday unanimously took a bold step to transform all private-sector energy utility customers to interactive, two-way metering systems over the next five to seven years, authorizing a $1.74 billion, five-year transformation for Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s nine million electric and natural gas meters. The other major utilities regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) are expected to launch similar programs next year.

SCANA Corp. and Enermetrix.com have jointly announced SCANAOnline Energy, a gas and electricity auction marketplace designedfor use by business and industrial customers.

The Energy Information Administration has a new web site with aninteractive map on natural gas choice programs nationwide. The mapshows programs for residential customers in individual states rangefrom full choice (in New Mexico, New York and West Virginia, withan additional nine states in the implementation phase) to test or”pilot” programs in 11 states that provide a choice of supplier forsome customers. An additional 11 states are considering action oncustomer choice, while 17 states have thus far taken no action. EIAfound consumer reaction to choice has been mixed. In some states,such as Nebraska, 97% of the eligible residential and commercialcustomers are electing to choose a supplier. In other states,however, such as Indiana and New Jersey, the participation is 2% orless of those eligible. The map does not provide complete data oncustomer choice or nationwide totals, but it does provide importantinformation on gas unbundling in each state. An EIA spokeswomansaid the administration plans to continue updating the site andintends to release a summary page soon that is expected to shownationwide residential participation levels at about 17% of thoseeligible. To find out more about the status of choice programs ineach of the 50 states and the District of Columbia visit the EIAweb site at: http://www.eia.doe.gov.