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NARUC Sets New Policies on Climate Change, Number Porting, Availability

ANAHEIM, Calif.--Climate change and telephone number porting and availability topped the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' policy agenda during its 119th Annual Convention.

In a series of resolutions approved today by its membership, NARUC took significant action supporting federal climate-change legislation and asking federal regulators to streamline the number porting process, as well as ensure that Voice over Internet Protocol and other IP-enabled service providers can obtain traditional numbering resources.

NARUC resolutions are first approved by the Association?s various committees and are then approved by the Board of Directors and membership as a whole.

Below is a brief description of the resolutions, organized by subject matter and committee. The complete text is available on the NARUC website.

Energy

Consumer Affairs-1: Supporting the Gathering of Data for Electric and Natural Gas Distribution Companies by Individual State Utility Commissions or Energy Offices

This Resolution urges State regulators to gather relevant utility billing and arrearage data from all energy utilities within their jurisdiction so as to better understand, quantify, and evaluate the financial impact of consumer indebtedness on utilities, affordability of essential services, and its impact on State and federal low-income assistance programs. This analyze will be conduced by NARUC's Staff Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs.

Electricity-1: Resolution on Federal Climate Legislation and Cap-and-Trade Design Principles

This Resolution states NARUC's support for federal climate-change legislation and, in the event that Congress implements a cap-and-trade system, proffers a series of principles that lawmakers should consider as they move forward.

Electricity-2: Resolution Adopting a Revised Document Entitled, "NARUC Regulations to Govern the Preservation of Records of Electric, Gas, and Water Utilities"

This Resolution adopts an updated version of NARUC's record-preservation regulations as proposed and drafted by the Association's Staff Subcommittee on Accounting and Finance.

Energy Resources and the Environment-1: Resolution on State Regulatory Policies Toward Climate Change

This Resolution recognizes the growing likelihood new climate regulations and urges State regulators to consider a number of policy and regulatory options going forward. 

Telecommunications

Telecommuncations-1: Resolution Regarding Revising Guidelines for Number Porting

This Resolution recognizes technological advances that should result in faster telephone number porting between wireline providers, and urges the Federal Communications Commission to establish requirements that would ensure faster number porting for wireline customers.

Telecommunications-2: Resolution Concerning Availability of Numbers to Voice over Internet Protocol Providers and IP-Enabled Services

This Resolution notes the growing increase in customers taking phone service from VoIP or other IP-based services and endorses a national policy permitting the direct assignment of number resources to these services to ensure that providers comply with FCC numbering rules.

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.