Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 49, December 7, 2024
Section 62.4 - Universal service and energy conservation plans(a)Plan submission.(1) Each NGDC shall submit to the Commission for approval an updated universal service and energy conservation plan every 3 years beginning February 28, 2002, on a staggered schedule.(2) The plan should cover the next 3-calendar years.(3) The plan should state how it differs from the previously approved plan.(4) The plan should include revisions based on analysis of program experiences and evaluations.(5) The Commission will act on the plans within 90 days of the NGDC filing date.(6) If the Commission rejects the plan, the NGDC shall submit a revised plan pursuant to the order rejecting or directing modification of the plan as previously filed. If the order rejecting the plan does not state a timeline, the NGDC shall file its revised plan within 45 days of the entry of the order.(b)Plan contents. The components of universal service and energy conservation may include the following: CAP, LIURP, CARES, Hardship Funds and other programs, policies and protections. For each component of universal service and energy conservation, the plan shall include the following:(1) The program description that includes a description of the program rules for each program component.(2) The eligibility criteria for each program component.(3) The projected needs assessment for each program component and an explanation of how each program component responds to one or more identified needs. The needs assessment shall include the number of identified low-income customers and an estimate of low-income customers, the number of identified payment troubled, low-income customers, an estimate of payment troubled, low-income customers, the number of customers who still need LIURP services and the cost to serve that number, and the enrollment size of CAP to serve all eligible customers.(4) The projected enrollment levels for each program component.(5) The program budget for each program component.(6) The plans to use community-based organizations for each program component.(7) The organizational structure of staff responsible for universal service programs.(8) An explanation of any differences between the NGDC's approved plan and the implementation of that plan. If an NGDC has not implemented all of the provisions of an approved plan, the NGDC should provide a justification for that failure and plans for corrective action. If an NGDC is requesting approval of a revised plan, the NGDC should provide a justification of the revisions in its request for approval.(9) A description of outreach and intake efforts for each program component.(10) An identification of the specific steps used to identify low-income customers with arrears and to enroll them in appropriate universal service and energy conservation programs.(11) An identification of the manner in which universal service and energy conservation programs operate in an integrated fashion. This section cited in 52 Pa. Code § 62.7 (relating to NGDCs with less than 100,000 residential accounts).