Retail Energy Supply Association Announces the Formation of a New California Monitoring Group

RESA expands advocacy efforts to California as Commercial Markets Begin to Re-open to Competition

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Retail Energy Supply Association (RESA), a leading trade association of retail energy suppliers committed to the advocacy of vibrant and sustainable competitive retail energy markets, announced today the formation of a California monitoring group to expand its regulatory monitoring activities to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Legislature, California ISO and other energy-related state agencies. RESA currently monitors retail electric competition activities in 14 states and retail gas competition activities in 6 states.

The California market recently re-opened, in a limited manner, as a result of the passage of Senate Bill 695. On April 16, 2010, through a first-come, first-serve process approved by the CPUC, non-residential customers were allowed to submit their intention to obtain competitive retail energy supply, as opposed to default utility energy supply. There was an overwhelming demand for the program, which was limited in load scope and excluded residential customers. As a result of the high demand for this limited supply, the majority of requests for competitive service were unable to be fulfilled.

"With the establishment of the California monitoring group, RESA now takes its place as the preeminent retail energy trade association that touches both coasts of the United States," said Jay Kooper, President of RESA. "Over the past year, the California retail electric market has emerged as one that shows great promise, and yet continues to be complex and ever-changing. It therefore seems a natural fit -- in terms of timing and opportunity -- for RESA to expand its advocacy activities to California and to work with policymakers and like-minded consumer and industry advocates. We enter the California market as an Association to ensure that the benefits of choice and competition – both in terms of downward pressure on price and value-added products and services such as demand response, renewable energy and energy efficiency – become a reality for Californians of all customer classes and sizes, not just for a select few."

RESA's new California monitoring group will be chaired by Tim LoCascio. Mr. LoCascio also serves as Regulatory Affairs Manager for Liberty Power.  Sue Mara, Principal of RTO Advisors, LLC, will serve as the California monitoring group's consultant.

"The tremendous response to the California direct access enrollment process, in which the Year One competitive electric load cap was reached nearly instantaneously after the enrollment window opened, speaks for itself – customer demand for retail services is very high in California," said Tim LoCascio. "As RESA member companies, we look forward to working with policymakers and other stakeholders in order to bring more value-added products and services to California customers who are demanding these innovative, cost-effective, reliable, customer-tailored products, including renewable offerings," LoCascio continued.

About RESA

RESA's members are Con Edison Solutions; Constellation NewEnergy, Inc.; Direct Energy Services, LLC; Energy Plus Holdings LLC; Exelon Energy Company; GDF SUEZ Energy Resources NA, Inc.; Gexa Energy; Green Mountain Energy Company; Hess Corporation; Integrys Energy Services, Inc.; Just Energy; Liberty Power; PPL EnergyPlus; Sempra Energy Solutions LLC.  For more information, contact RESA Executive Director Tracy McCormick at (717) 566-5405 or go to www.RESAUSA.org

SOURCE Retail Energy Supply Association