Decision 98-12-080 December 17, 1998
BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Order Instituting Rulemaking on the Commission's Proposed Policies Governing Restructuring California's Electric Services Industry and Reforming Regulation. |
Rulemaking 94-04-031 (Filed April 20, 1994) |
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Order Instituting Investigation on the Commission's Proposed Policies Governing Restructuring California's Electric Services Industry and Reforming Regulation. |
Investigation 94-04-032 (Filed April 20, 1994) |
Decision Regarding Permanent Standards
Interim meter and meter data standards were initially adopted in Decision (D.) 97-10-087 and D.97-12-048. Today's decision addresses the recommendations for permanent standards which were contained in the workshop report filed by the Permanent Standards Working Group (PSWG).
In adopting the permanent standards, we have tried to avoid adopting standards which are too narrow in scope, and which limit technology choices. Today's decision favors an open architecture approach which focus on the continuing safety, accuracy and reliability of meters and meter data. Attachments A, B, C and D of this decision summarize the permanent meter and meter data standards that we adopt. Those attachments reference the pertinent passages in our decisions, and in the appendices to the PSWG's workshop report, which make up the permanent standards.1 Attachment E contains a glossary of the various acronyms used in this decision.
Among the permanent standards we adopt are the following:
· Meter product standards, the certification testing requirements that meter products must comply with, the submission to the Energy Division of the meter type self-certification document, and
the procedures to follow for rebuilding, retrofitting, or repairing meter products.
· Meter communication standards including KYZ contact outputs, and the requirement that a direct access meter have a localized visual kilowatt-hour (kWh) display or a physical interface to enable on-site interrogation of all stored meter data.
· Meter data management and meter reading standards. These include standards for meter data management agents (MDMAs), including how often a meter is to be read, safety requirements, timeliness of validated meter data, and exemptions from having to timely make meter data available.
· An order that the utility distribution companies (UDCs), electric service providers (ESPs) and MDMAs move toward using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) standards to transfer meter usage information in accordance with the schedule discussed in the decision, and that the Direct Access Tariff Review Committee file a report with its recommendations for implementing EDI on a statewide basis.
· Validating, editing and estimating (VEE) rules for meter data, and an order that a workshop be convened to work on additional VEE issues.
· Meter installation, maintenance, testing and calibration standards. This includes the schedules for the maintenance and testing of meters, meter test procedures, and the calibration and maintenance of test standards.
· Meter worker classifications and, as an interim measure, an order placing the burden on the ESPs to prove that the meter service providers (MSPs) are capable of performing the meter work in the various classifications should any questions arise. Explore what permanent entity should eventually administer and design the meter worker certification tests. We streamline the MSP certification process by eliminating the 50 joint meet and log requirements, and the provisional certification process.
1 We did not attempt to modify the wording of D.97-10-087 and D.97-12-048 in this decision to conform the passages to today's adoption of permanent meter and meter data standards. That is because D.97-10-087 and D.97-12-048 specifically stated that the standards adopted in those two decisions were interim, and that the interim standards adopted in those two decisions might change. (D.97-10-087, pp. 43-44; D.97-12-048, p. 2.)
