 The District will soon have a new area code: 771. The new area code will relieve the future exhaustion of phone numbers in the 202 area code. The Commission has approved a 13-month implementation schedule proposed in the North American Numbering Plan Administrator’s Petition (Formal Case No. 1165).
To assist consumers in transitioning to a new area code in the District of Columbia, the DCPSC has established an Area Code Implementation Working Group to develop a consumer education program. Entities interested in participating in the Working Group can file a request to join the Working Group by October 16, 2020. Requests must explain the reasons for their interest in joining the Working Group and can be filed with the Commission Secretary by email.
Learn more about the 13-month implementation process.
 Since more people are staying at home and consequently using more electricity, gas and water, ratepayers are faced with higher bills than usual. In response to the pandemic, the DC Council passed emergency legislation prohibiting the disconnection of electric, natural gas, water and telecommunications services for non-payment. Consumer advocates fear that when those restrictions are lifted, customers who have avoided paying their bills will be faced with a financial hardship.
This has prompted four District agencies charged with serving DC utility consumers to establish #Here2HelpDC, a digital awareness campaign to inform consumers about energy and money-saving initiatives that will help minimize the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since July, the DCPSC, the Department of Energy & Environment, the DC Sustainable Energy Utility, and the Office of the People’s Counsel have shared tips and tools to help consumers conserve energy and water resources, reduce billing costs and to utilize relief and payment programs. As the pandemic continues, the coalition has expanded its efforts by hosting webinars and establishing a website to serve as an online, one-stop shop for resources and assistance programs.
To follow the campaign, search for the #Here2HelpDC hashtag across social platforms.
 The PowerPath DC Governance Board is accepting concept papers on potential pilot projects to advance the District’s clean energy and grid modernization goals. The concept papers must align with the PowerPath DC Vision Statement and Guiding Principles and support the goals identified by stakeholders throughout the PowerPath DC (formerly MEDSIS) working group process. These goals include reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding distributed energy resources (DERs).
Submissions are due to the Governance Board by October 28, 2020. Authors of concept papers may be invited to present their work at a Governance Board Meeting.
Learn more and submit your idea.
 The DCPSC will contract for a study to determine the value of distributed energy resources (DERs) in the District. A request for proposal has been issued to hire a consultant for the study.
The first phase of the study will result in a framework and dynamic pricing formula, which will be implemented during the second phase. The framework will be used to calculate rates for DER compensation.
Proposal submissions are due on November 2, 2020. This study is a part of the DCPSC’s PowerPath DC proceeding (Formal Case No. 1130) with the goals of ensuring that our energy delivery system remains safe, reliable, and affordable while also becoming more sustainable, interactive, and secure. “As DER activity intensifies in the District, the Commission is also working to ensure that DER benefits are maximized, and that the costs of DER deployment are fairly allocated among developers, customer classes, and utilities,” stated Willie L. Phillips, DCPSC Chairman. “By conducting this study, the Commission is doing our part to help the District meet its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2032 and address the long-term impacts of climate change.”
Learn more about the RFP.
 The DCPSC continues to take significant steps in helping the District meet its climate change commitments and 100% renewable energy goal for 2032. The DCPSC has approved Pepco’s pilot program that will help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the PJM Interconnection region and achieve carbon neutrality in the District.
The pilot program is designed to procure renewable energy through a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for electricity (Formal Case No. 1017, Order No. 20636). The target quantity is 5% of the Standard Offer Service (SOS) load. The Commission anticipates that energy from the PPA will begin to serve the target quantity of SOS load on June 1, 2024.
The DCPSC will hire a consultant within 90 days of the end of the first year that the PPA has provided energy to SOS customers to assess the benefits, costs, and risks to SOS customers. The DCPSC will use this information to analyze the feasibility of expanding the percentage of the District’s SOS load to be served by renewable energy PPAs beyond the initial 5%.
 District residents can testify at the DCPSC’s virtual community hearing on WGL’s request to increase to existing rates and charges for natural gas service. The new rates WGL has requested are designed to collect approximately $200.4 million in total annual revenues. The hearing will take place on October 20, 2020 at 2:00 p.m.
Find out how to submit testimony, written comments and/or watch the hearing
Please contact the Office of the Commission Secretary via email or call 202-626-5150 with any questions.
 The DCPSC has scheduled a virtual hearing on October 26, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. to consider Pepco's request for a rate increase. Pepco is requesting authority to increase existing electric distribution rates by $162 million through the implementation of a Multiyear Rate Plan for the years 2020 through 2022.
Pepco proposes changing its ratemaking schedule from the current format, which requires Pepco to ask the Commission for permission each time it wants to increase rates, to a multiyear plan that would allow Pepco to automatically apply three successive annual rate increases.
The DCPSC held a virtual community hearing on the Pepco rate case on September 29 where more than 200 District residents testified. If you have questions, contact the Office of the Commission Secretary via email or call 202-626-5150.
 The DCPSC recognized National Telephone Discount Lifeline Awareness Week in September along with public utility commissions around the country. The week is designed to both raise awareness of and increase participation in the Lifeline program, a federal/state program that helps make voice and broadband services more affordable for qualified customers. Access to these essential services will be even more critical once disconnection prohibitions have been lifted after the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Eligible consumers can receive a monthly discount on voice, broadband, and voice-broadband bundled services. In the District, the Lifeline Program offers a monthly charge for local landline, voice consumers at $3.00 and $1 for seniors.
 The DCPSC’s Office of Consumer Services (OCS) will kick off its annual Winter Ready DC campaign on National Weatherization Day, October 30. Each year, OCS encourages District residents to weatherize their homes during the fall months. To support residents in their weatherization effort, District residents can sign-up to receive free Winter Ready DC kits beginning October 30.
Due to the pandemic, the DCPSC has found that many utility consumers have fallen behind in paying their utility bills and we want to provide a way for District residents to avoid high winter heating bills as well as utility disconnections once the District’s public health emergency ends. OCS is also encouraging consumers to take advantage of utility bill payment arrangements and assistance programs.
 The DCPSC’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE) has received a 100% rating for its Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Program and Damage Prevention Program for five consecutive years. OCE provides oversight of the transport of natural gas in the District.
The program is rated and certified annually by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The evaluation includes a review of pipeline safety compliance records and on-site pipeline operator inspections by Commission staff.
Dr. Udeozo Ogbue, P.Eng., and his staff scored 100% on the PHMSA progress report and 100% on PHMSA’s annual performance evaluation of the pipeline safety program procedures, records, field activities and inspections. This led to an overall score of 100% for CY 2019, as it did from CY 2015 to CY 2018.
 Angela Parsons has joined the Office of the General Counsel as an attorney-advisor. She was previously with the DC Government as the staff attorney for the D.C. Register and the D.C. Municipal Regulations at the Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances. Before that post she was a government and regulatory affairs attorney for several telecommunications companies, including FiberTower Corp. and First Avenue Networks. She is a graduate of George Washington University Law School and clerked with the New Jersey Superior Court.
Bryan Henning joins the Commission as our new senior gas engineer. He is a licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer (PE) and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Bryan has about 10 years of total experience and has worked in the engineering departments of Washington Gas Light Company for the last eight years (including project management duties for various pipeline infrastructure projects) and has previously worked at a well-regarded technology and industrial business company (Johnston Controls). He possesses a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia. He is an active member in the American Gas Association, and the Gas Technology Institute.
Dugan Marieb also joins the DCPSC as our new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Innovator intern. Dugan was selected and assigned to the DCPSC by the DOE’s Solar Energy Innovation Program which is administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. He is a recent graduate from the Washington University in St. Louis, earning a B.A. in Environmental Policy and Finance. Dugan has an avid professional interest in expanding solar energy in the U.S. and learning how utilities have an impact on the energy transition to a decarbonized electrical system. He brings direct solar policy and utility regulation experience from his recent internships with SunPower, Renewable Northwest, and EDP Renewables.
Livestream DCPSC proceedings: Livestream our proceedings on all your mobile devices, either on our website or YouTube.
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