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    Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger's Letter To PSC

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    Daily Freeman
    The letter urges the Public Service Commission to undertake a prudence review and penalty assessment of Fortis/Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corporation for extreme mismanagement in implementing a new customer billing system. It details failures documented in an investigation report and argues accountability is needed to protect customers and deter future issues.

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    Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger's Letter To PSC

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    Daily Freeman
    852 views3 pages
    The letter urges the Public Service Commission to undertake a prudence review and penalty assessment of Fortis/Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corporation for extreme mismanagement in implementing a new customer billing system. It details failures documented in an investigation report and argues accountability is needed to protect customers and deter future issues.

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    Metzger_Case 22-M-0645_Cases 23-E-0418.23-G-0419

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    Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger's letter to PSC

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    The letter urges the Public Service Commission to undertake a prudence review and penalty assessment of Fortis/Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corporation for extreme mismanagement in implementing a new customer billing system. It details failures documented in an investigation report and argues accountability is needed to protect customers and deter future issues.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    852 views3 pages

    Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger's Letter To PSC

    Uploaded by

    Daily Freeman
    The letter urges the Public Service Commission to undertake a prudence review and penalty assessment of Fortis/Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corporation for extreme mismanagement in implementing a new customer billing system. It details failures documented in an investigation report and argues accountability is needed to protect customers and deter future issues.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    ULSTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE

    244 Fair St., P.O. Box 1800, Kingston, New York 12402
    Telephone: 845-340-3800
    Fax: 845-334-5724

    JEN METZGER JAMIE CAPUANO


    County Executive Deputy County Executive

    JOHANNA CONTRERAS AMANDA LAVALLE


    Deputy County Executive Deputy County Executive
    Chief of Staff
    April 22, 2024

    The Honorable Rory Christian, Chair


    New York State Public Service Commission
    3 Empire State Plaza
    Agency Building 3
    Albany, NY 12223-1350

    RE: Case 22-M-0645 | Cases 23-E-0418/23-G-0419

    Dear Chair Christian:

    It has been more than a year and a half since the NYS Department of Public Service
    ("Department") released its December 2022 Investigation Report of Fortis/Central Hudson Gas
    and Electric Corporation (the "Company") documenting extreme mismanagement and neglect in
    the rollout of the Company's billing system over nearly three years, and we write to urge the
    Commission to now move forward with a prudence review and penalty measures to address the
    resulting harm inflicted on thousands of customers. It is vital that the Commission undertake this
    review and a civil penalty assessment before issuing an Order on the current rate case to ensure
    that the Company is held to account for its reckless actions, and to prevent the further erosion of
    public trust.

    We thank the Commission and the Department of Public Service for responding to our
    call for an end to the Company's use of estimated billing as recommended by the Investigation
    Report, and for an independent assessment of the Company's billing practices. Both of these
    actions were included in the Interim Agreement between the Company and the Department of
    Public Service, approved by the Commission in August, and are important steps forward. While
    we still believe that a forensic audit of customer bills may be necessary to provide full
    confidence to ratepayers that all errors are (and will be) detected and corrected, we await the
    report of the Independent Monitor to see what its assessment was able to uncover.

    As the Commission made clear in its Order, the Interim Agreement is not meant to be a
    substitute for a potential enforcement or prudence proceeding, and "does not finally resolve
    issues raised in the Order to Show Cause." The failures of Fortis/Central Hudson management in
    implementing the new customer billing system were extensive and extreme. The Investigative
    Report documented a blatant disregard for major defects in the system and the warnings of
    employees, inadequate testing, training, staffing, and internal communications, a lack of candor
    with customers and the public, and apparent violations of the law. The findings of the
    investigation suggest a management culture at Fortis/Central Hudson that assigns a low value to
    the interests and well-being of its customers, and any hope of changing that culture requires that
    the Company be held materially responsible for its actions and fined for its negligence and
    failures. Approving a new rate plan before addressing doing so would send the wrong signal to
    both the Company and the public. We urge the Commission to act now and move a prudence
    review and civil penalty assessment forward to hold the Company accountable and deter these
    kinds of management failures in the future.

    We thank you for your consideration, and for your commitment to protecting the interests
    and well-being of Fortis/Central Hudson customers.

    Sincerely,

    Jen Metzger
    Ulster County Executive

    Patrick Ryan
    Michelle Hinchey
    Congressman, NY District 18
    NYS Senator, District 41

    Sarahana Shrestha Peter Criswell


    NYS Assemblymember, District 103 Chair of the Ulster County Legislature

    Abe Uchitelle Kevin Roberts


    Majority Leader, Ulster County Legislature Minority Leader, Ulster County Legislature

    Aaron Levine Thomas Corcoran


    Deputy Majority Leader, Ulster County Legislature Ulster County Legislator, District 11

    Joseph Donaldson Debra Clinton


    Ulster County Legislator, District 8 Ulster County Legislator, District 16

    2
    Richard Walls
    Ulster County Legislator, District 13 Eric Stewart
    Ulster County Legislator, District 18

    Gina Hansut Kathy Nolan


    Ulster County Legislator, District 10 Ulster County Legislator, District 22

    Jeff Collins
    Megan Sperry Ulster County Legislator, District 23
    Ulster County Legislator, District 17

    Marybeth Majestic
    Limina Grace Harmon Supervisor, Town of Gardiner
    Ulster County Legislator, District 20

    Danielle Freer
    Supervisor, Town of Esopus Steve Noble
    Mayor, City of Kingston

    Mike Boms
    Mike Boms Scott Corcoran
    Supervisor, Town of Hurley Supervisor, Town of Marlborough

    David Plavchak Tim Rogers


    Supervisor, Town of Lloyd Mayor, Village of New Paltz

    Neil Bettez Jeanne L Walsh


    Supervisor, Town of New Paltz Supervisor, Town of Rosendale

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