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For Immediate Release: February 8, 2012
Contact: Rob Thormeyer, 202-898-9382, rthormeyer@naruc.org

Consumer Complaints, Nuclear Waste, Transmission Policies, VoIP Outages Top NARUC Agenda

Consumer complaints and Voice-over-IP call completion issues topped the agenda for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ Winter Committee Meetings in Washington.

In a series of resolutions approved today by the NARUC Board of Directors, the Association urged the Federal Communications Commission to set up a database so consumers can search complaint data about telecommunications providers, and asked the agency to take up outage reporting for VoIP provides.

The Association also endorsed a federal inquiry into transmission incentives, numerous recommendations from a blue-ribbon panel on nuclear waste, and an industry initiative to improve electricity reliability.

NARUC is the national association representing the State Public Service Commissioners who regulate essential utility services, including energy, telecommunications, and water. Association members are responsible for assuring reliable utility service at fair, just, and reasonable rates.

The resolutions were approved at the conclusion of the NARUC Winter Committee Meetings. They are now considered NARUC policy and will be advocated by the Association before Congress, the courts, and federal agencies.

A brief summary of each is pasted below:

TOPIC: AMERICA’S NUCLEAR FUTURE
Resolution Regarding the Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future
The resolution appreciates the efforts of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future in reviewing the policy and technical factors involved with managing and disposing of both government and commercial high-level radioactive waste and proposing a strategy to resolve the waste disposal problems that have too-long been deferred. The resolution requires NARUC to take action to encourage the Administration to work with the appropriate congressional authorities to reclassify the fees paid to the Nuclear Waste Fund to prevent the government from diverting the fee for other unrelated uses.

TOPIC: CONSUMER COMPLAINTS
Resolution Regarding the FCC’s Consumer Complaint Database
The resolution urges the FCC to create an online publicly searchable database of its consumer service complaints as soon as possible

TOPIC: ELECTRIC RELIABILITY
Resolution Supporting the NERC Find, Fix, and Track Report Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Mechanism
The resolution supports (1) NERC’s efforts to better focus on violations that pose a higher risk to the reliability of the bulk power system; (2) that FERC take appropriate steps to support NERC efforts to continue to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the reliability compliance enforcement program and reliability overall; (3) that NERC measure the results of industry resources to those areas that pose a higher risk to the reliability of the bulk power system; and (4) that changes to the NERC compliance monitoring and enforcement program continue to provide reliability benefits to consumers in a cost-effective manner.

TOPIC: ENERGY ASSISTANCE
Resolution on LIHEAP Funding
The resolution urges Congress to maintain the current level of LIHEAP funding by appropriating no less than the Fiscal Year $5.1 billion dollars level.

TOPIC: INTERCONNECTION
Resolution on the Interconnection of the U.S. Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority
The resolution recognizes that the interconnection between PREPA and WAPA will enhance the principles of reliability, economy, environmental protection, and efficiency in the region and therefore, supports the development and construction of the proposed Interconnection between PREPA and WAPA.

TOPIC: VOIP OUTAGE REPORTING
Resolution on Mandatory Reporting of Service Outages by Interconnected Voice Over Internet Protocol Service Providers
The resolution requests the FCC to (1) extend mandatory service outage reporting requirements to interconnected VoIP service providers; (2) require interconnected VoIP service providers to report service outage information comparable to that required from other communications service providers, and on a detail level and timeliness that will provide adequate network status information in support of State, county, and local emergency response efforts; (3) expand criteria in 47 C.F.R. Part 4 that defines a significant service outage to specifically include VoIP service problems affecting public access to 9-1-1, emergency service communications, utilities, and other telecommunications service providers; and (4) provide State commissions with the opportunity to have direct and immediate access to the FCC’s outage reporting database and to all outage reports filed by interconnected VoIP service providers.

WIRELESS BILL SHOCK
Resolution Supporting Continuing Improvements to CTIA’s Best Practices to Further Reduce Wireless Bill Shock
The resolution encourages wireless carriers to continue their efforts to streamline consumer access for updated information by investigating and implementing methods to receive immediate information on account usage for each service they have along with sage balances rather than waiting for notifications. The resolution also thanks the wireless industry for recognizing that government and consumer bodies can work with industry to benefit consumers and industry for the common good of our country.
 

NARUC is a non-profit organization founded in 1889 whose members include the governmental agencies that are engaged in the regulation of utilities and carriers in the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. NARUC's member agencies regulate telecommunications, energy, and water utilities. NARUC represents the interests of State public utility commissions before the three branches of the Federal government.