Retail Energy Intelligencer | October 2025

Maine Department of Energy Resources (DOER) takes over for Governor's Energy Office (GEO). Maine Gov. Mills officially announced the launch of the new cabinet-level department, which will be Maine's designated energy office. DOER will take over GEO's core responsibilities, though the governor will still appoint the DOER Commissioner, as well as exercise additional authority granted by the legislature in LD1270. It will oversee state energy policies, programs, and development efforts, and be directed to assess energy supply and infrastructure needs while considering state greenhouse gas (GHG) targets.

Maryland Outlines Next Steps for Non-Critical Elements of its Permanent Community Solar Program. On October 6, the MDPSC approved the Staff-recommended next steps for non-critical program elements of the Maryland Community Solar Program. A period of data collection will now begin, starting at the community solar consolidated billing launch this month through January 2026. Staff will continue coordination with the Net Metering Work Group to identify any immediate implementation issues and will provide the MDPSC with an update on community solar consolidated billing no later than April 1, 2026.

California legislature paves way to join a multi-state regional transmission organization (RTO). Assembly Bill 825, signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, sets out conditions under which CAISO, and the utilities whose transmission systems it operates, will be able to participate in voluntary energy markets governed by an independent regional transmission organization (RTO). The bill removes legal obstacles to California joining the RTO being developed by the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative, whose territory will also include Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.

Supplier group asks for clarification on RPS requirements and new state law in Connecticut. RESA filed a motion for clarification on September 30 noting that a 2024 Connecticut law provides that “a retail electric supply contract that was entered into or renewed on or after January 1, 2023, but prior to July 1, 2024” can meet a 4% RPS Class III standard instead of the normal 5% requirement. RESA noted, however, that Exhibit A of the 2024 RPS report identifies the 2024 Class III obligation for all suppliers is set at 5% and "does not provide any means by which suppliers can change this requirement or otherwise identify the portion of their load that is subject to the Exception." On October 2, PURA’s Office of Education, Outreach, and Oversight responded to RESA's motion and PURA's ruling on supplier Constellation's similar motion (response, spreadsheet), recommending, “…any Supplier who claims the Exception should be required to provide an unlocked Excel spreadsheet detailing the information outlined in the table below. To be clear, the total overall load reflected within the spreadsheet should be equal to the applicable amount of MWh’s claimed for the Exception and should cite the contracts provided. Additionally, providing the information in this manner should allow for additional validation of the applicable load with the respective EDCs.” Each electric supplier and utility must file 2024 Connecticut annual RPS compliance report by 4:00 p.m. ET on October 15.

Parties filed comments on future of POR in District of Columbia. Parties filed reply comments on the notice of inquiry regarding the future of the POR program in the District of Columbia, on September 29. Of note, RESA recommended the DCPSC reject Office of People’s Counsel’s proposal to eliminate residential POR; convene a stakeholder working group to identify the drivers of increased discount rates and propose durable, data-driven solutions; and maintain the non-residential POR program in its current form. Pepco opposed both a stakeholder working group and a RESA-proposed consideration of supplier consolidated billing in the District. Pepco also disputed OPC's assertion that supplier uncollectibles are recovered through base rates, saying, "Pepco does not include bad debt expense associated with POR in base rates or through a base rate case. Instead, bad debt expense is deferred, and actual write-offs are recovered through the POR discount rate." WGL said it agreed with OPC “…about the harm that an unscrupulous TPS company may cause to low-income and limited-income households…” but disputed OPC's characterization of utility WGL and its supplier affiliate WGL Energy. WGL said, “Price differences between Washington Gas and WGL Energy, both higher and lower, are to be expected precisely because Washington Gas pursues its own independent gas procurement strategy and does not collaborate on such strategy with WGL Energy.”

New Utility Consolidated Billing rules for community solar in Maryland. On September 23, the Maryland PSC unanimously adopted new regulations implementing utility consolidated billing for community solar projects in Maryland. In a somewhat perversely poetic twist, the implementation of UCB for community solar comes as the end of purchase of receivables looms for residential retail energy suppliers in the Old Line State, with a “temporary” return to dual billing for any suppliers still serving residential load in the state set to begin in January 2026.

NYPSC accepts utility plan to advance gas system reliability. On September 18, the New York PSC approved a final long-term gas plan of the National Grid utilities. Based on the NYPSC’s analysis, there is a demonstrated need for the proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement project, which involves reinforcing the existing Transco natural gas pipeline system that currently serves Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, and that “it is appropriate for National Grid to seek capacity from [NESE] to ensure it can continue to provide safe, adequate reliable service. The NYPSC stated clearly, however, that as it has no regulatory oversight over NESE or ability to bring the project to fruition, in the interim, Grid must rely on “less reliable and more expensive sources of supply” to meet customer demand. 

Legislative Updates: Senate Bill SB57 in California was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on October 11. The new law would “permit CPUC to assess the extent to which utility costs associated with new data center loads are shifted to other customers and opportunities to prevent or mitigate such cost shifts”…earlier this month, Newsom vetoed legislation in support of virtual power plants, saying, “While I support efforts to realize the potential of these energy resources and others, this bill results in costs to the [California Energy Commission]’s primary operating fund, which is currently facing an ongoing structural deficit, thereby exacerbating the fund’s structural imbalance.”

Commission Comings-and-Goings:

• The Ontario Energy Board announced on October 3 two new members to its Board of Directors, Cheryl Fort and Michael Liebrock.
• On October 20, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced that he is nominating four new commissioners to PURA, which currently has only two sitting members: Janice Beecher, a retired professor focused on utility policy and a former staffer at the Illinois Commerce Commission; Holly Cheeseman, a former state legislator who served on the Energy and Technology Committee; Everett Smith, a renewable energy investor; and Thomas Wiehl, currently the head of the Office of Consumer Counsel. Additionally, the governor announced that he is selecting Wiehl to serve as the PURA chair. Each of the nominees will initially begin serving in these roles in an interim capacity, and then their nominations will be forwarded to the Connecticut General Assembly for its consideration upon the start of the 2026 regular legislative session in February. PRQ Note: our quick read is that all of these commissioners are likely to continue PURA's tough line on retail choice, especially Interim Chair Wiehl and Interim Commissioner Beecher.