| 1. | General |
| 2. | Qualifications |
| 3. | Agreements |
| 5. | Participant Relationships |
| 6. | Obtaining Usage Information |
| 7. | Supplier Default |
| 8. | Reciprocity |
| 9. | Metering |
| 10. | Meter Data |
| 11. | Load Profiling |
| 12. | Energy Scheduling |
| 13. | Energy Imbalance |
| 14. | Enrollment Process |
| General | |
| 1. | As a supplier, who can I call at Detroit Edison if I have questions? |
| You can call the Electric Choice Supplier Support Center hotline toll-free at 888.830.2170, or in the Detroit area dial 313.235.3796. | |
| 2. | Where can I get a list of alternative electric suppliers and marketers? |
| A listing of MPSC licensed alternative electric suppliers can be found on the MPSC web site. FERC authorized power marketers can be found on the FERC web site. | |
| 3. | Will residential interruptible air-conditioning services be discontinued after the full implementation of electric choice on January 1, 2002? |
| Customers who do not participate in electric choice can keep the interruptible air-conditioning rate. All electric choice customers will buy their energy at whatever rate they negotiate with their alternative electric supplier. | |
| 4. | How will Resale Agreements (Rider 4) be handled if a landlord is served in electric choice? |
Pursuant to PA 141 of 2000, all Detroit Edison customers are eligible for electric choice, taking service under the Detroit Edison Retail Access Service Tariff. According to the Standard Contract Rider No. 4, the Retail Access Service Tariff is not a tariff for which Rider 4 applies. Therefore, electing service under the Retail Access Service Tariff will terminate your Rider 4 agreement with Detroit Edison. |
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| 5. | Will Detroit Edison or the State of Michigan provide customer education? |
Detroit Edison provides education via our web site, Supplier Handbook, supplier workshops, brochures, Assigned Account Managers, and the Electric Choice Customer Center at 1.877.413.INFO (4636). We support statewide education efforts and Detroit Edison is a member of the CHOICE (Customers Have Options in Choosing Energy) Advisory Council. The Council is a working group of representatives from Michigan utilities, ratepayer interests, alternative energy suppliers, and the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) staff. The MPSC is working through the details of the CHOICE Advisory Council and a statewide educational campaign is expected to roll out in the second half of 2002. It is the intention of Detroit Edison to actively support the CHOICE Advisory Council and the MPSC to develop and implement statewide communications to help Michigan citizens make informed energy purchase decisions. |
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| 6. | Does Detroit Edison have any marketing policies or restrictions that suppliers should follow? |
| No, however the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) provides guidelines for marketing practices and policies in its licensing process. In addition, the MPSC has put forth a Code of Conduct and anti-slamming procedures, which apply to alternative electric suppliers. The documents are available on the commission web site at www.cis.state.mi.us/mpsc/. | |
| 7. | Once approved, can a supplier state in its marketing materials that it is "Utility-Approved" or more specifically, "Detroit Edison Approved?" |
| Detroit Edison does not approve marketers. Suppliers are qualified to participate as described in the qualification processes, but Detroit Edison does not approve or endorse a supplier. | |
| 8. | Does Detroit Edison provide a customer listing? |
| Detroit Edison does not provide a customer list. | |
| 9. | What are the Detroit Edison rate classifications? |
| All rates are contained in Detroit Edison's rate book, which can be viewed on the Detroit Edison web site at http://my.dteenergy.com/myAccount/electricRateBook.do. | |
| Qualifications | |
| 1. | What does a supplier need to do to qualify? |
| Refer to Section 1.4 of the Supplier Handbook for alternative electric supplier (AES) qualifications or Section 1.5 for marketer qualifications. | |
| 2. | Are there any requirements placed on aggregators or brokers by Detroit Edison or the MPSC? |
| As stated in Section 1.3 and 1.6 of the Supplier Handbook, currently there are no statutory, regulatory or Detroit Edison approvals required to be an aggregator or broker in the State of Michigan. | |
| Agreements | |
| 1. | If I am an alternative electric supplier (AES) and a marketer, do both AES and Marketer Agreements need to be executed? |
| Yes, the AES and Marketer Agreements have different terms and conditions, both agreements must be executed if you are both an AES and a marketer. | |
| 2. | Why does a marketer need a Wholesale Power Sales Agreement with Detroit Edison? |
| The Wholesale Power Sales Agreement will be used to provide replacement power in the case a marketer's supply fails and any back-up arrangements do not replace the power. | |
| 3. | Will customer contracts filed with the MPSC be kept confidential? |
| No, the MPSC staff has informed us that customer contracts will be public information. | |
| 4. | What is the duration of the AES and Marketer Agreements? |
| These agreements will remain in effect through March 31, 2002, unless earlier terminated or canceled, or otherwise extended. | |
| Participant Relationships | |
| 1. | If I am both the alternative electric supplier (AES) and the marketer, do I need to execute the AES-Marketer Notice (identifying a relationship with myself)? |
| Yes. Even though you are both the AES and marketer, you must sign the AES-Marketer Notice. The AES-Marketer Notice informs Detroit Edison whom the AES will have as its marketer. | |
| 2. | Can an AES have more than one marketer? |
| Yes. AESs will need to identify each marketer with whom they will conduct business in a separate AES-Marketer Notice submitted to Detroit Edison. A separate SINK designation is required for each AES-Marketer business relationship. | |
| 3. | Can a marketer serve more than one alternative electric supplier (AES)? |
| Yes. However, the marketer must make separate reservations and schedules. | |
| 4. | What advantages does a marketer and AES have if they are one and the same? What is preferred? |
| The advantages of being both an AES and a marketer include savings associated with common facilities, administration, and other advantages associated with businesses that merge for synergies related. Preference is dependent on individual company needs and goals. | |
| Obtaining Usage Information | |
| 1. | What information will be included in the Detroit Edison 12-month-bill history? |
| Section 5.5 of the Supplier Handbook describes the types of information provided, formats in which the data is available, and charges for the information, if any apply. | |
| 2. | Who will be allowed to get customer information and load data? |
| The customer has always had access to its historical usage information and will continue to have access under the Electric Choice Program. Anyone authorized by the customer can get customer historical usage information. A Customer Information Release form is used to facilitate this request. The Customer Information Release form can be found on the Detroit Edison web site in the Download & Links section. | |
| 3. | How long does it take to get a customer's 12-month bill history once we have faxed the request? |
| Customer use information will be sent to the requestor within ten (10) business days of receipt of the request, barring unusual circumstances. | |
| 4. | How is interval meter data obtained? |
| As described in Section 7.3 of the Supplier Handbook, Detroit Edison will retrieve metered data from electric choice locations using a telephone line that is installed and maintained by the customer. | |
| 5. | How will the AES get billing determinants to use in billing its customers for energy? |
| The AES will get an EDI 867 transaction set after each meter reading. The EDI 867 will provide Detroit Edison's standard billing determinants such as consumption and demand data. | |
| 6. | How will the AES know if the EDI enrollments are received? |
| The AES will receive an EDI 814 confirmation transaction indicating a successful enrollment. For rejected enrollments, the EDI 814 provides the reasons for rejection. | |
| 7. | How will the AES and marketer know when the customer is ready for electric choice service? |
| Both the AES and marketer will receive an EDI 814 transaction set indicating that the customer is site ready, which means all validation checks have been completed and all metering requirements are in place. | |
| Supplier Default | |
| 1. | Will electric choice customers who return to bundled service as a result of a marketer or AES default be required to stay on the bundled tariff for a specified period of time? |
| No. Customers who have been returned to bundled service because of a marketer or AES default may return to electric choice with no waiting period, provided they have met all service requirements and have aligned with and are enrolled by a qualified alternative electric supplier (AES). | |
| 2. | If a marketer is defaulting, will the AES be notified? |
| Upon a marketer default the customers enrolled under that marketer's DUNS number will be returned to bundled service. The Electric Choice Supplier Support Center representative will notify all affected AESs when a marketer has defaulted. | |
| Reciprocity | |
| 1. | How will Detroit Edison enforce the reciprocity requirement? |
| As a qualification requirement, the marketer must execute a Marketer Agreement. As part of that agreement, the supplier certifies that "it is in compliance with the Michigan Public Service Commission's requirements for reciprocity, as set forth in U-12489." | |
| 2. | Does reciprocity apply to both AESs and marketers? Why does reciprocity apply to the marketer? |
| Reciprocity applies to the marketer only. It addresses both the generation and transmission portions of the electric business and, as such, only impacts the marketer. From a contract perspective, the marketer is obligated to execute the "Certificate of Compliance with Reciprocity Requirements." See Attachment B of the Marketer Agreement. | |
| 3. | Other states with electric choice programs do not require reciprocity, why does Michigan? |
| Reciprocity is a state requirement that came out of the Governor's Jobs Commission findings and which has been delineated in Section 10y of Public Act 141 of 2000 and an MPSC Order in case U-12489 dated December 20, 2001. It is intended to assure fair and equitable treatment of competition in all states recognizing that each state has different phase-in schedules. | |
| Metering | |
| 1. | Can we develop a method of initiating meter work prior to enrollment? |
| No, meter requirements are determined at the time of enrollment. | |
| 2. | For those customers who elect to use the Detroit Edison load profiling methodology, is there a cost associated with this service? |
| No, there is no cost for the load profiling service. | |
| 3. | If a separate data recording module is required for marketers to obtain real-time data from a customer's existing meter, is it Detroit Edison's intention to hold the marketer responsible for the installation and maintenance of this equipment? |
| Yes. The customer, AES or marketer can install their own recorder using the pulses supplied at the meter installation. If they choose to have Detroit Edison install the recorder, Detroit Edison will charge the marketer or customer for the installation and maintenance of Detroit Edison approved separate data recording modules. | |
| 4. | What is your estimate of the cost of a data-recording module? |
| The meter data-recording module is available for the customer at a cost of $8 per month. This request can be made by completing the Customer Information Release Form. For more information, see Chapter 7.4.3 of the Supplier Handbook. | |
| Meter Data | |
| 1. | If a customer requires an interval meter, will it affect the billing unit or meter read dates? |
| If the customer is on a secondary meter route at enrollment, the billing unit will be maintained, however meter reads could be affected by one (1) to two (2) days in some cases. If the customer is on a primary billing route at enrollment, the billing unit and read dates stay the same. | |
| 2. | Will the marketer be allowed to query the Detroit Edison meter? |
| Yes. Detroit Edison will allow access to the existing Detroit Edison meter at the customer site. The meter configuration is selected at the time of enrollment. This configuration requires a dedicated phone line. For other options, refer to Chapter 7.2.2 of the Supplier Handbook. | |
| Load Profiling | |
| 1. | Can you index load profile curves that are already developed to weather-related conditions? |
| There is no need to index historic curves used for reconciliation because the load curves are dynamic. That is, they are based on net system output during the time the customer used the energy. | |
| 2. | Does Detroit Edison have load profile curves available? |
| Detroit Edison presently has three (3) load profile curves available, however, we are reviewing the need for additional profiles. | |
| 3. | Have you developed the initial load profiles for residential and single-phase commercial customers? Are you going to make those available to AESs? |
| This information is currently available in the Customer-Based Data section of the Electric Choice Supplier Site, or by contacting the Supplier Support Center. | |
| 4. | Have you filed your load profiling methodology with FERC for their approval? |
| FERC was notified that Detroit Edison developed a load profiling system and indicated that they would be satisfied with the concurrence of the MPSC. The MPSC reviewed the load profiling methodology and concurs with Detroit Edison's method of dynamic load curves. | |
| 5. | What are the deviations in accuracy with load profiling vs. metering? What is preferred? |
| The combined value of the profiling errors is 2.37% of the total value of the electricity delivered. | |
| Energy Scheduling | |
| 1. | Do we have to deliver to the proxy curve or to the actual demand? |
| Load profile customer's actual total demand will be profiled against the proxy curve to create hourly usage data. Scheduled energy will be compared to this hourly data for energy imbalance calculation. | |
| 2. | Can internal meters and load profiled meters be combined under one schedule |
| A marketer may combine interval meters with load profiled meters under the same SINK (energy schedule). | |
| 3. | Can a marketer have more than one energy schedule? |
| A marketer may have multiple energy SINKs, each with its own source destination. | |
| 4. | How does the marketer determine which schedule is providing energy to a specific meter? |
| The marketer is required to designate the SINK (energy schedule) that will be used to supply energy to each meter at the time when the meter is scheduled to begin electric choice service. | |
| Energy Imbalance | |
| 1. | How will you handle imbalances associated with distribution circuit outages? |
| If an outage occurs, obviously the usage drops to zero, and the schedule should be adjusted accordingly to avoid energy imbalance. If the schedule is not adjusted, the marketer will receive a credit from Detroit Edison to compensate for the over supply. | |
| 2. | When will energy imbalances be calculated for load profile customers? |
| For load profile customers, energy imbalances will be calculated 60 days after the close of the billing date. | |
| Enrollment Process | |
| 3. | Have any of these systems been tested? |
| We are currently in the process of testing various release functionality and are very confident in the testing to date. We validated our capability and are targeting another round of testing prior to October 1st. Right now, AES functionality has been testedàsuccessfully. | |
| 4. | When the customer is enrolled and has been notified, can the customer dispute the enrollment? |
| We have developed two levels of notification for customers. One at the enrollment confirmation level, and then one at switch date level. If the customer disputes their enrollment at any time, we will take the word of the customer, stop the enrollment process and notify the respective AES that the customer requested a cancellation. We believe customers will become cognizant of what is happening when they are asked to release confidential information to an AES. When a customer agrees to provide this information to an AES, they begin the initial formation of a new relationship with an AES. Disputes that arise from the formation of this relationship are between the respective AES and the customer to resolve. | |
| 5. | How long does a customer have to raise a dispute after the customer has received switch-date notification? |
| When customers are provided with switch date notification, they have ten (10) days to indicate that there is a dispute with respect to their enrollment. This 10-day notification timeframe is their second opportunity to raise their concerns. | |
| 6. | If a customer is already enrolled with an AES and a second AES tries to enroll the same customer, what happens? |
| If the customer's first enrollment is still pending, the new enrollment will be rejected. However, if the customer is in service as an electric choice customer, the new enrollment will be treated as a switch request and all parties will be notified. | |
| 7. | What happens if an enrolled account either moves or asks for a read out or read in? |
| If a customer notifies us of a move and requests a disconnect, we will initiate the "drop" functionality in the system, which in turn notifies the AES and marketer of record of this "drop." The meter read data will be obtained and forwarded as part of an 867 EDI transaction set. | |
| 8. | Since you are particularly specific on the type of customer information necessary, how is the name or other customer information shared between the AES and Detroit Edison as the distribution company? |
| Detroit Edison releases customer information used to establish an AES relationship when we receive the properly executed Customer Information Release form submitted on behalf of the customer and signed by both the customer and the AES. Information beyond usage information, such as payment history and credit, is not released unless the customer chooses to give this information to the AES. | |
| 9. | What prevents Detroit Edison from pursuing customers who choose to participate in electric choice? |
| Detroit Edison has a defined and filed bundled tariff, which is the extent of Detroit Edison's product offering. Our goal is to allow customers to make an informed choice. If that customer's informed choice is to transition into electric choice and to move to a relationship with an AES, Detroit Edison respects that choice. | |