1. The meeting was opened at 9:00 am and moderated by Mike
Jaske of the CEC. Participants introduced themselves. Commissioner
Neeper's presence was acknowledged.
2. Each of the four technical committee leaders made a brief
presentation summarizing where their group was at this point in
the assessment of issues. In general, while the beginning of
the process was marked by confusion, each committee is now beginning
to function more effectively and progress toward assessing the
assigned issues is taking place. The Implementation Committee
requested a decision as to whether pilot programs testing various
facets of direct access should be undertaken as part of the August
30 working group report. The Consumer protection/education committee
distributed a third draft of consumer principles for other committees
to use in their assessment efforts.
3. Michael Kieschnick of Working Assets, Inc. made a presentation
from an energy supplier perspective on the direct access pilot
recently launched in New Hampshire. This is a three percent of
load pilot directed by the Public Utilities Commission under the
general direction of the legislature to implement direct access
by 1998. Various similarities and differences from the impending
California direct access effort, and the industry setting in which
direct access will occur, were noted. Once key difference is
that new Hampshire appears to have decided to develop a final
direct plan as a result of a market test, with various successes
and failures of a loose test, while California is developing a
more refined plan for initial and staged access of all customers
to direct access.
4. Chris Albrecht of Robinsons-May/CRA made a presentation
from the customer perspective on both the New Hampshire and Illinois
direct access pilots. His company submitted requests to participate
in both pilots, and was successful in the CILCO experiment, but
not the New Hampshire experiment. A major cost savings is expected
in the CILCO experiment.
5. A general discussion of barriers inhibiting progress toward
a successful August 30 working group report identified two issues.
a. Internet access is still limited for many participants.
The CEC has not been able to provide the NewsForum service that
it had hoped to offer. The DRA is experiencing difficulties in
translating documents to upload to the DRA website. DRA encourages
participants to use Microsoft Word or WordPerfect, and to avoid
graphics packages.
b. The working group determined that persons wishing
to sponsor direct access pilots should develop specific proposals
and are encouraged to submit those to the DAWG members for their
review and discussion. DAWG itself, however, will not develop
specific pilot or testing concepts for the August 30 working group
report.
6. Mike Jaske reminded participants that the next round of
technical committee meetings would be in Sacramento on June 19-21.
June 21 is a special metering workshop organized by the metering/communication
systems committee. The next full DAWG meeting scheduled for July
9 in San Francisco will be modified to serve the needs of a "checkpoint"
meeting as announced for the June time period in the May 17 Joint
Assigned commissioner Ruling, p. 8.
7. The meeting concluded approximately 12:45 pm, with a coordinating committee meeting that followed immediately.