AOBA Utility Committee Meeting November 20 | 11 AM – 12 PM | via Zoom Register
Frann Francis, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for AOBA, and Kevin Carey, Vice President of AOBA Alliance, will update AOBA members on the ongoing rate cases in Maryland and D.C. and their impacts on budgets as well as other energy related issues impacting members and participants.
William Sticka, Director of Technical Sales/Market Strategy for Constellation, will present the market fundamentals impacting electric and natural gas pricing, updates on winter weather forecasts, PJM Capacity prices as well as purchasing strategies and opportunities for AOBA members and AOBA Alliance participants.
Pepco filed a request for a $31.0 million increase beginning May 1, 2025 in Maryland as the Company’s Final Reconciliation as a result of the last MYP approved in Maryland, i.e., Case No. 9655. AOBA was a party to that proceeding and will file testimony on October 18, 2024 as required by the Commission’s Order No. 91292.
Hearings will be held beginning December 17, 2024 and briefs and reply briefs will be filed in January, 2025. Implementation of reconciliation rates will be effective May 1, 2025.
WG is requesting a $45.6 million increase in rates which includes a transfer of $11.7 million from the PROJECTpipes surcharge to base rates, for an incremental increase of $33.9 million.
WG proposes that new rates become effective June 1, 2025.
In WG’s last base rate case FC 1169, the PSC reduced WG’s request for a $53.0 million increase to $24.6 million, which became effective January 19, 2024.
WG’s proposed rate increase estimates for Commercial and Group Metered Apartment customers range between 20-28% in the Company’s new case.
Frann Francis, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for AOBA, and Kevin Carey, Vice President of AOBA Alliance, will update AOBA members on the ongoing rate cases in Maryland and D.C. and their impacts on budgets as well as other issues impacting members and participants including Building Energy Performance Standards.
William Sticka, Director of Technical Sales/Market Strategy for Constellation, will present the market fundamentals impacting electric and natural gas pricing, updates on the PJM capacity auction, and purchasing strategies and opportunities for AOBA members and AOBA Alliance participants.
On June 10, 2024, the Maryland Public Service Commission issued its Order on Pepco’s Application for a Multi-Year Rate Plan which rejected Pepco’s proposed three-year and 9-month MYP and approved a one-year revenue adjustment of $44,629,000, instead of the $117.2 million Increase in revenue sought by Pepco for the first year of its MYP. AOBA advocated for rejection of Pepco’s MYP and approval of a rate increase based on an historic test year.
Specifically, Pepco claimed “cumulative revenue deficiencies of $117.2 million for the 12 months ending March 31, 2025, $160.5 million for the 12 months ending March 31, 2026, $193.2 million for the 12 months ending March 31, 2027, and $213.6 million for the proposed nine-month extension period ending December 31, 2027.”
The Commission’s decision results in a 62% reduction in Pepco’s first year rate increase request, and denies Pepco the further yearly increases listed above.
On June 20, 2024, Pepco filed its Compliance Rates to go in effect for usage on or after July 1, 2024. Compliance rates are expected to be approved by the Maryland PSC in July. This rate increase was filed to go into effect on April 1st but because of the delay until July/August, Pepco will have to collect their approved increase of $44.29 million in 7 ½ months vs. a traditional 12 months. Pepco will file a Rider/Surcharge to go in effect from August 2024 through March 2025 to collect the shortfall in revenue. Absent a new rate increase Application from Pepco, the Rider/Surcharge will not be effective after March 31, 2025.
Benchmarking Deadline is June 1, 2024 for multi-family residential buildings with gross square footage area between 25,000 feet and 250,000 square feet. This is the first year that multi-family residential buildings of this size need to report their building’s energy usage. Larger multi-family buildings (>250,000 square feet) began reporting in June 2023 for CY 2022 data. Beginning in 2024, all buildings in Montgomery County with gross floor area of greater than 25,000 square feet will need to submit their benchmarking data by June 1st annually.
AOBA Alliance and Constellation hosted their Energy Market Update for participants to inform them of pending changes in utility costs as well as current energy supply market conditions.
AOBA and Constellation held an energy market update on January 31, 2024 which provides members and participants with insight into the current energy market and regulatory rate cases in Maryland, DC and Virginia.
AOBA and Constellation Energy will present a review of the current energy market and the impact on utility rates for AOBA members and AOBA Alliance participants.
William Sticka, Director of Technical Sales/Market Strategy for Constellation, will present a comprehensive update and view on the wholesale natural gas and electric markets and the impact on energy supply contracting for our members and Alliance participants. Frann Francis, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for AOBA, and Kevin Carey, Vice President of AOBA Alliance, will provide an update on the most recent information on Pepco and Washington Gas rate cases and their impact on members’ utility costs.
Maryland • Pepco MD Case No. 9702 Request for $193.2 million Multi-Year Plan (“MYP”) rate increase New electric rates will be effective April 1, 2024, but will not be appear on customer’s bills until August 17, 2024. Year 1 rate increase will be collected between August 17, 2024 and March 31, 2025. • WGL MD Case No. 9704 Request for $49.4 million rate increase New gas rates will be effective December 14, 2023 • WGL MD Case No. 9708 Request for New Stride Surcharges New Stride surcharges will be effective in December 2023 • Montgomery County Electric and Gas Energy Tax New energy tax rates were effective July 1, 2023 District of Columbia • Pepco DC Formal Case No. 1176 Request for $190.7 million Multi-Year Plan rate increase New electric rates may be effective by July 1, 2024 • WGL DC Formal Case No. 1169 Request for $53.0 million rate increase New gas rates may be effective by January 1, 2024 • WGL-DC Formal Case No. 1175 Request for 5-year Pipe Replacement Plan for $671.8 million No information available at this time. Virginia • WGL VA Case No. PUR-2022-00054 Request for $86.6 million rate increase New gas rates were effective November 26, 2022 and refunds will be issued by November 29, 2023. • DVP Case No. PUR-2023-00067 Fuel rate request – Temporary decrease New fuel rates were effective July 1, 2023 • DVP Case No. PUR-2023-00101 2023 Biennial Review of its Rates New electric rates may be effective January 18, 2024
If you would like to participate in the AOBA Alliance program or would like to receive more information, please contact Kevin Carey at [email protected].
