§ 7-510.1. Customer education on customer choice

   (a) Duty of Commission. -- The Commission shall educate customers about customer choice in accordance with this section.

(b) Web site. --

   (1) The Commission shall:

      (i) host and regularly update a user-friendly customer choice education section on its Web site that complies with standards issued under § 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and

      (ii) prominently display a link to that section of the Commission's Web site on the home page of the Commission's Web site.

   (2) The customer choice education section of the Commission's Web site shall include:

      (i) a clear and simple description of:

         1. customer choice;

         2. how customers can shop for an electricity supplier;

         3. what kinds of competitive electricity supply options customers have, including:

            A. renewable energy supply;

            B. fixed and variable pricing; and

            C. other common contract terms;

         4. the current price of standard offer service in the service territory of each electric company; and

         5. the continuing role of the electric company in delivering electricity to a customer that chooses an electricity supplier;

      (ii) fact sheets that:

         1. answer common questions about customer choice;

         2. advise customers about the questions customers should ask when choosing an electricity supplier; and

         3. list the kinds of disclosures that electricity suppliers must make to customers;

      (iii) a list of all electricity suppliers that have open offers to supply electricity in a customer's service area, searchable by service territory or jurisdiction; and

      (iv) a statement indicating that customers who have entered into a contract with a competitive electricity supplier for electricity supply should be aware of the ending date of the contract so that they may determine, before being placed into a renewal contract with the current electricity supplier, whether they would like to:

         1. shop for an alternative electricity supplier;

         2. renew with the current electricity supplier; or

         3. return to the standard offer service which may be offered at a price that is less than the renewal price offered by the current electricity supplier.

   (3) To the extent practicable, the list of electricity suppliers required under paragraph (2)(iii) of this subsection shall include:

      (i) the terms of any open offers to supply electricity, including:

         1. the duration of the contract;

         2. the cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour; and

         3. any cancellation fees; and

      (ii) a link to the Web site of each electricity supplier with an open offer to supply electricity.

(c) Secure portal for receipt of information. --

   (1) To ensure the currency and accuracy of information required under subsection (b)(2)(iii) of this section, the Commission shall maintain a secure portal on its Web site to receive information about offers to supply electricity from electricity suppliers.

   (2) At least once each month, each electricity supplier with an open offer to supply electricity shall submit detailed information about the offer to the Commission through a secure portal maintained by the Commission on the Commission's Web site for this purpose.

(d) Public service announcements. -- The Commission shall work with media outlets in the State to develop and air public service announcements publicizing customer choice and directing customers to the Commission's Web site for additional information.

(e) Recovery of cost. -- The Commission shall recover the cost of complying with this section in accordance with § 2-110 of this article.

(f) Report to General Assembly. -- On or before December 31 of each year, the Commission shall report, in accordance with § 2-1246 of the State Government Article, to the General Assembly on the status and success of the Commission's efforts to educate customers about customer choice under this section.

HISTORY: 2011, chs. 202, 203.