PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: September 15, 2014
CAPE LIGHT COMPACT ANNOUNCES POSTING OF INFORMATION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL ON-LINE
Barnstable, MA – As part of its on-going effort to increase transparency, the Cape Light Compact announced today that it has followed up on its commitment to provide information requested by the Massachusetts Attorney General.
“For the past few months, we’ve been engaged in what should be a simple process for review and approval of our Aggregation Plan at the Department of Public Utilities (DPU),” Compact Administrator Margaret Downey said. “The Attorney General has sought to expand the scope of the proceeding in an effort to resolve questions of law that go far beyond the Compact. The DPU has told the Attorney General in similar proceedings that the matters of law they seek to address don’t belong in an Aggregation Plan proceeding. In the spirit of cooperation, we have offered to sit down with the Attorney General and her staff and provide answers to all of their questions outside of our DPUproceeding, but thus far the Attorney General has not responded to the Compact’s offer to meet. The lack of a response from the Attorney General has allowed critics to mischaracterize what is going on as the Cape Light Compact ‘stonewalling’ the Attorney General and refusing to provide information in the DPU case. To end the mischaracterization of what is happening, we have posted information in response to all of the Attorney General’s questions on our web site at www.capelightcompact.org/AGinfo. We have also delivered the 525-page document to the Attorney General’s office.” Downey said the public is also able to view the information, much of which was already on-line and publicly accessible.
“We’re waiting for the DPU to tell us whether or not the information contained in the answers we’ve posted online should be included in the DPU’s current proceeding – their past decisions have excluded similar information. It’s the DPU’s decision to make, but, in the meantime, we’re happy to provide the information the Attorney General’s office has asked for outside of the proceeding,” Downey said.
“Cape Light Compact posts much more information on its operations than utilities, other energy companies, or other public entities.We want to make sure that in addition to the usual questions, people can understand how we function,” Downey has noted.
The posting of this information comes within the context of the Compact’s continuing work to increase transparency. Most recently, the Compact began posting line-by-line revenues and expenditures on its web site. Publicly available information about the Compact includes:
- All Compact revenues and expenditures from 1997 through Fiscal Year 2014. (The Energy Efficiency expenditures have customer names redacted in order to protect the privacy of the Compact’s customers. In addition the names of individuals and organizations that the Compact purchases Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from are also redacted to as competitively sensitive information.)
- Compact budgets
- Compact annual financial statements and audit documents
- Compact meeting agendas and meeting minutes
- Compact board meeting packets containing information provided to board members.
In addition to the resources listed above, the Compact’s website includes information on the Compact’s programs, such as how to request a free energy assessment, or find out about competitive power pricing or other operational information.
“Our primary focus is on the programs we run for energy efficiency, power supply and consumer advocacy,” Downey said. “Our staff does that well, and we’ve administered award-winning programs for more than a decade that have saved consumers millions of dollars by reinvesting in our community.”
Downey closed by saying, “We are dedicated to serving the public. We heard and responded to comments in regards to providing more information. We don’t expect to satisfy all critics, but it is our hope that making more information available and accessible will clear up misconceptions and answer outstanding questions.”
ABOUT CAPE LIGHT COMPACT
Cape Light Compact is an award-winning energy services organization operated by the 21 towns and two counties on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard. The Compact’s mission is to serve its 200,000 customers through the delivery of proven energy efficiency programs, effective consumer advocacy, competitive electricity supply and green power options. For more information, visit www.capelightcompact.org.
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Information submitted to Attorney General:
CLC Responses to AG Discovery – 9.12.14 – PART 1