FTC Staff Reply Comment Before the District of Columbia Public Service Commission Concerning a Proposed Program for Dynamic (Variable) Pricing of Electricity for Residential Customers, Formal Case Nos. 1086 and 1109

FTC staff submitted a comment in response to the District of Columbia Public Service Commission’s (DC PSC) request for comments on Potomac Electric Power Company’s (Pepco’s) proposed dynamic pricing program for residential customers. The comment encouraged DC PSC to adopt the proposal as a constructive initial step toward improving the efficiency of the electric system in a way that can benefit many customers, but also leave the existing price structure in place for customers who do not (or cannot) respond to the efficiency incentives. It also recommended that DC PSC periodically review the effects of the proposed approach, with a focus on the accuracy of the price signals being conveyed, consumer participation in and satisfaction with the program, and methods to enhance consumer participation and satisfaction. The comment further recommended that DC PSC ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place with respect to the personal information that smart meters generate about customers and ensure that entities that receive such personal information protect it appropriately.