On remand from the state supreme court, the Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) has ruled that federal communications law does not preempt the commission from asserting regulatory jurisdiction over Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telecommunications services. The commission previously had concluded that fixed VoIP services fit the legal description of telecommunications services under Vermont law, such that the commission was not proscribed by federal law from exercising its authority over VoIP.

In a highly contentious docket pertaining to a natural gas local distribution company’s (LDC’s) petition for rate relief, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission ended up staying a recommended decision from an administrative law judge (ALJ) and then extending the time for party motions, rebuttals, exceptions, and responses.

The Kentucky Public Service Commission approved as modified a proffered stipulation pursuant to which an electric utility, Kentucky Power Company, may implement a base rate hike of $12.35 million. The final amount authorized stands in stark contrast to the $65.39 million in additional revenues originally sought by the company. It also marks a significant reduction from the rate terms negotiated by the settling parties, which provided for an increase of $19.45 million.