Press Release

PUC Highlights 2021 Accomplishments

Published on 12/16/2021

Filed under: Consumer Education Electric Gas Motor Carrier Pipeline Rails Telecommunications Transportation and Safety Water and Wastewater

HARRISBURG – As part of its final public meeting for 2021, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) fulfilled a longstanding custom of highlighting some of the agency’s major accomplishments over the past year.

“With the lingering effects of the pandemic, 2021 was another year of challenges, but our skilled and dedicated staff never missed a beat in continuing the day-to-day work and overarching mission of our agency,” said Chairman Gladys Brown Dutrieuille. “On behalf of my fellow Commissioners, I thank all PUC staff for their work, dedication and professionalism. It takes dedication and hard work from all of you, and we are looking forward to what we can accomplish in the year to come.”

2021 Accomplishments

Physical offices remained closed for the majority of this past year, yet the PUC continued to be fully operational with personnel working remotely and some returning to the office when it opened and as needed. It is important to note that:

• The PUC successfully conducted every PUC Public Meeting that was scheduled for 2020 and 2021, even with the challenging circumstances.
  
  
• The Commission continued telephonic or virtual evidentiary and public input hearings, along with telephonic and virtual meetings of the Damage Prevention Committee and the Consumer Advisory Council.
  
  
• PUC staff continued to assist consumers through our remote consumer services hotline.
  
  
• Thanks to fiscal transactions and the eFiling of documents with the Commission, the PUC continued functioning at normal levels.

The Commission achieved many important successes during 2021, including:

Filings & Resources

The Secretary's Bureau received approximately 28,000 filings submitted in 2021 and served approximately 11,000 documents, including approximately 900 Orders and 6,000 Secretarial Letters. The Commission received more than 135 Right-to-Know requests in 2021, and all were responded to in a timely manner despite the pandemic and staff working remotely.

The PUC’s Office of Administrative Law Judge presided over 329 telephonic or virtual evidentiary hearings and 32 telephonic or virtual public input hearings. Our Judges also resolved 188 cases through mediation processes, and issued 216 decisions.

Consumer Issues

The Commission encouraged consumers and small businesses who may still be experiencing financial difficulty to #CallUtilitiesNow to discuss the options to remain connected to vital utility services. We emphasized that direct conversations between customers and utilities are the best “first step” for any Pennsylvania household or business struggling to #KeepUtilitiesOn, whether those financial difficulties are related to the COVID pandemic, the ongoing state and national recovery, or other challenging circumstances.

The PUC’s consumer educators reached front-line community partners and utility customers through drop-offs of educational materials at locations statewide, along with many virtual educational events, including our annual Be Utility Wise and Be Wise consumer-education conferences.

Water/Wastewater Issues

The PUC also increased awareness for Pennsylvania consumers to #KeepUtilitiesOn with the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program.

Emergency Preparedness

Staff participated in and coordinated several emergency preparedness activities, including natural gas emergency exercises, Black Sky event committee meetings, electric grid resiliency exercises and worldwide tests that focus on emergency preparedness, business continuity, emergency response and cybersecurity plans through various scenarios. 

Audits

The PUC Audits team released 32 reports covering 72 years of adjustment clauses, and reviewed and approved approximately 377 adjustment clause filings. Management Audit staff released four Management Audits, two Management Efficiency Investigation reports, and the 516 Annual Report for Calendar Year 2021.

Safety Issues

The PUC increased consumer education on electric safety, safe digging and delaying the start of non-essential home digging projects to enhance safety and avoid accidental damage to underground lines that could disrupt utility services during a stressful time.

Actions were taken against 264 underground facility owners, excavators and project owners, including 1,376 disciplinary actions, representing $671,875 in administrative penalties as part of our PA One Call enforcement jurisdiction.

The second Damage Prevention Committee annual report was issued, including an overview of its Alleged Violation Reports and the subsequent actions taken, such as the issuance of warning letters, administrative penalties and locator or excavator education.

Broadband Issues

The PUC continued to encourage Pennsylvanians to stay connected through the Emergency Broadband Benefit, a program started by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Impact Fees

The PUC distributed $146.2 million this year through impact fees on natural gas producers – pushing the nine-year total to more than $2 billion collected and distributed to communities across the state.

Electric Retail Markets

The Commission modified and eventually lifted the door-to-door supplier marketing moratorium, and provided additional door-to-door marketing training to electric generation suppliers (EGSs).

Electric Default Service Rate Cases

The PUC processed six default service proceedings for electric distribution companies (EDCs).

Consumer Services

The PUC’s Bureau of Consumer Services handled 38,564 total complaints, including 17,745 payment arrangement requests, with staff manually working through all company-submitted Informal Complaint Reports to ensure compliance with COVID-related Commission Orders

PUC staff also implemented technologies and virtual/online trainings to enhance customer care through the telework environment, and are working diligently to deliver additional new technologies in 2022.

About the PUC

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

Visit the PUC’s website at www.puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Search for the “Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission” or “PA PUC” on your favorite social media channel for updates on utility issues and other helpful consumer information.

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Contact:

• Denise McCracken
  Senior Communications Specialist
  717-787-5722
  demccracken@pa.gov