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Low Income Assistance
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE UTILITY CONSUMER ADVOCATES
R E S O L U T I O N
Supporting the Establishment of a Federal Fund
to Use in Providing Low-Income Assistance
WHEREAS, electric service is a basic necessity of modern life.
Universal electric service therefore must be a key component of
our public policy;
WHEREAS, universal electric service, means, at a minimum, access
to and availability of firm, reliable power supply, which includes
generation, transmission, and distribution services, at affordable
rates, to all who desire those services;
WHEREAS, there are Congressional measures introduced which would
either permit or require states to offer customers retail electric
choice;
WHEREAS, if the electric industry is restructured, the most economically
vulnerable customers may be placed at risk because market forces
and other factors could cause such customers to no longer receive
service or to have their service terminated;
WHEREAS, if low income customers cannot afford their electric bills
and are disconnected, they no longer contribute to the fixed cost
base of the electric supply and delivery system, and therefore all
customers may be harmed;
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of all customers and it is
good public policy to keep the customers least able to afford electric
service on the system by means of appropriate low income assistance
programs available for customers who need them;
WHEREAS, currently, programs such as percentage of income or equal
payment plans, low income or lifeline rates, LIHEAP and Weatherization
help to serve some of this universal electric service goal;
WHEREAS, if the electric utility industry is restructured, lawmakers
should assure that programs to implement universal electric service
are adequately funded and are in keeping with the competitive framework
in order to protect all consumers from harms in a restructured electric
market;
WHEREAS, in a competitive market, costs and related charges for
low income energy assistance programs must be designed to be recovered
from all utility customers and electric service providers or the
even broader base of all taxpayers in a non-bypassable and competitively
neutral manner;
WHEREAS, the concept of affordable rates may include rate designs
and explicit funding mechanisms that permit residential customers
to obtain service at rates that they can afford to pay;
WHEREAS, such an approach should allow low-income consumers to
obtain adequate services in a competitive market at affordable rates
and prices,
WHEREAS, low income assistance is just one part of universal service.
Other consumer protections are also necessary;
WHEREAS, the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates
(NASUCA) has previously supported low income and other universal
service programs;
WHEREAS, NASUCA supports the adoption of universal service protections
that would include programs for making adequate electric service
available at rates and prices which are affordable in any electric
restructuring legislation or regulations;
WHEREAS, most states currently have programs designed to protect
and/or assist low income customers;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that if federal restructuring legislation
is enacted NASUCA supports the establishment of a federal fund to
be used to provide low income assistance (such as low income weatherization,
bill reduction techniques and education) apart from, and in addition
to federal LIHEAP and Weatherization; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the fund may be augmented by efforts
at the state level and that states should have primary control over
the programs and the distribution of all such funds;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NASUCA authorizes its Executive Committee
to develop specific positions and to take appropriate actions consistent
with the terms of this resolution. The Executive Committee shall
advise the membership of any proposed action prior to taking action
if possible. In any event the Executive Committee shall notify the
membership of any action pursuant to this resolution.
Approved by NASUCA:
Submitted by:
Seattle, WA
Place
NASUCA Electricity Committee
June 10, 1998
Date
Larry Frimerman (OH), Chair
Thomas Brocato (TX)
Scott Cauchois (CA)
Barry Cohen (OH)
John P. Cook (IN)
Nancy Vaughn Coombs (SC)
Steve Corneli (MN)
Anne Curtin (NY)
George Dean (MA)
William Fields (MD)
Margaret Force (NC)
Brian Gallagher (DE)
Walker Hendrix (KS)
Jim Hurt (GA)
Bruce Johnson (CT)
Robert Kelter
Angela Kennedy (DC)
Eugene Koss (CT)
Ryan Kind (MO)
Thomas Nicholson (VA)
Charles Noble (NM)
Gerald Norlander (NY)
Blossom Peretz (NJ)
William Perkins (ME)
Irwin Popowsky (PA)
Fred Schmidt (NV)
Ben Stead (IA)
Kenneth Traum (NH)
National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates
8380 Colesville Road, Suite 101, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: (301) 589-6313 Fax: 589-6380
e-mail: nasuca@nasuca.org |