The Florida Supreme Court has allowed GTE Florida, Inc.

3) improvements to network infrastructure in the state.

The PSB added that NYNEX had failed to take advantage of falling local-exchange access charges

(a primary reason for the current hike in local service rates) to cut its long-distance calling rates

The Florida Supreme Court has upheld a decision by the state commission (PSC) to test the cost-effectiveness of demand-side management (DSM) programs for the state's four largest investor-owned electric utilities by measuring the impact of the programs on rates for all consumers, whether or not they participate in DSM programs.

It held the Rate Impact Measure (RIM) test consistent with state law directives to avoid discrimination between rate classes for DSM initiatives (em more so than the Total Resource Cost (TRC) test used alone.

The Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) has rejected a call by its staff, the state's consumer advocate, and customers of Missouri Gas Energy to eliminate the latter's purchased-gas adjustment clause (PGA) in favor of traditional rate-case analysis.

The North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) has adopted a "minimal" regulatory structure for newly certified, competitive local-exchange telephone carriers (LECs), and has revised existing interim rules governing certification, interconnection, number portability, and universal service in the newly opened markets.

Settling "one of the most contentious issues" in the local competition debate, the NCUC agreed that resale of local service should be permitted, but found it could not yet determine the exact nature and extent of the resale opportunities it would require.

Once again, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has chosen a revenue-sharing program to allocate earnings by local-exchange carrier (LEC) U S WEST Communications, Inc. to network modernization, rural zone rate reductions, and other system improvements, rather than to broad-based rate refunds.

U S WEST must share a portion of earnings with local-exchange callers under an alternate regulation plan it elected in 1989. During the plan's first two years, the PUC had directed available sharing funds returned to local subscribers as one-time credits.

The Ohio Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has authorized Columbia Gas of Ohio, Inc. to offer aggregation services free of charge to marketers, brokers, producers, or customer groups responsible for delivery of gas supplies to its city gates on behalf of end-users. (But Columbia will seek approval of a service charge in its next rate case.)

The PUC says the new service allows aggregation of customers by agents for scheduling and nominating gas, banking and balancing, and other distribution functions. Re Columbia Gas of Ohio, Inc., Case No. 96-159-GA-ATA, Mar.

Tennessee law permitting new competition in the local-exchange telephone market clearly protects the state's small incumbent local carriers (LECs with fewer than 100,000 access lines) from market entry by competitive carriers, according to the state public service commission (PSC), unless the incumbent voluntarily elects competition either by executing an interconnection agreement with a local competitor, or by applying for a certificate to provide service outside its franchised service area.

Separate certificate hearings for new market entrants would be inefficient and w

On behalf of our members, we want to express our continuing appreciation for the leadership you and your colleagues are showing in seeking enactment of S. 1317, a bill to repeal the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, while assuring appropriate consumer and investor protection. As you know, the '35 Act imposes duplicative, unnecessary, and burdensome requirements that are outdated and do not reflect current circumstances in the gas and electric utility industry.

Investors are taking stock

of utility exposure to price competition.The utility trade press and even the general financial press have featured the views of regulators, utility executives, legislators, and various consumer advocates on the stranded-cost question. Stranded costs easily represent the most contentious issue facing the electric industry as it moves to an era of competition.