Subject: Changes to DA bill
From: [email-masked]
To: [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked]
Cc: [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 01:18:00 -0800 (PST)

Highlights of AB21X that passed the AB and new Bowen version:

AB 21X contained:     Changes in new Bowen SB 27

before effective date, customer can go DA without limitation  but only if 
customer was not purchasing from utility after Jan 17.  Exit fee may apply if 
customer was purchasing from utility after Jan 17
existing DA can stay DA
after effective date, customer can go DA upon payment of exit fee based on 
DWR's unavoidable costs
after effective date, customer can go DA w/o exit fee if using self-gen or 
cogen and with 180 days advance notice  DELETE
re-entry fee applies for return to bundled service from DA, unless 12 months 
advance notice is given opportunity to avoid with 12 months advance notice is 
deleted
portion of the customer's load served by utility is not limited from going DA 
under this bill  DELETE
load growth may be used to allow residential and small commercial to go DA 
w/o exit fee   DELETE
Commission notifies customers of their choices within 30 days of effective 
date   90 days

The first point is the most critical.  It exposes customers to exit fees if 
they go DA before the effective date.  If we can argue to the DWR that no 
costs were really incurred by them - in fact, their burden was relieved by 
load going DA - this problem goes away.  Better to clarify in the legislation 
if we can.  Other than that, a couple of the Christmas tree ornaments have 
been taken off.  (These were nice, but, let's be realistic).

Seems to me this is still a pretty good bill!  (especially if we can clarify 
that CPUC's new 3 cent surcharge doesn't apply to DA. )  With either bill, we 
still have the issue of how to measure net avoidable DWR costs for exit fee 
purposes.