News Release Contact: Craig Goodman
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Telephone: (202) 333-3288
June 7, 2000 Facsimile: (202) 333-3266
E-mail:
National Energy Marketers Association to Form
Internet/Technology Policy Development Team
National Internet/Technology Policy Will Drive Meaningful Price Competition
WASHINGTON – The National Energy Marketers Association (NEM) announced today that it will form four Internet/Technology Policy Development Teams to identify issues and propose cutting edge technology solutions to foster effective price competition. Each Team's recommendations will be incorporated into NEM's nationwide advocacy efforts. The Association will hold its Summer Policy Development Meeting in Syracuse on July 20-21 to form these Policy Development Teams and discuss restructuring issues nationwide.
"Current law makes aggregating customers across multiple utility service territories and achieving national economies of scale a daunting task, " said NEM President Craig Goodman. "Emerging technologies can reduce the costs of aggregation as well as billing, metering, customer care and risk management. It can also provide an excellent, low-cost platform for meaningful price competition. However, the rules, tariffs and operating procedures must be rewritten to accommodate these new technologies, or the true benefits of restructuring will miss the smallest customers," explained Goodman.
"The Association has experienced significant membership growth in the Internet and technology sectors. The level of technical expertise that resides in our membership is enormous. This is a great opportunity for the top technologists and legal experts to provide lawmakers and regulators with a road map to effective, low cost energy competition," said Goodman.
· Internet Policy: This team will identify issues and develop policy solutions to Internet security/encryption, sign-up procedures, privacy issues, and consumer protection for online sales of energy and related products and services.
Co-chairs: Chris King, CEO of Utility.com and Rick Rumbarger, President of PowerTrust.com .
· A Energy Technology Policy: This team will identify issues and develop policy solutions to address billing, back-office and customer care solutions.
Co-chairs: Bob Obeiter, COO of InSITE Services and Phil Frangules, VP, E-Commerce of Excelergy.
· Metering Technology Policy: This team will identify issues and develop policy solutions to metering issues including: standards, calibration requirements, rights of access, installation, maintenance and meter operations.
Co-Chairs: Marguerite Bourgeois, VP of Olameter and Randi Neilson, VP of Itron.
· Telecom and Broadband Convergence Policy: This team will identify issues and develop policy solutions to address the convergence of the energy, telecom and bandwith industries. Nominees to lead this team have yet been named.
The National Energy Marketers Association is a national, non-profit trade association representing both wholesale and retail marketers of energy and energy-related services and technologies throughout the United States. NEM's membership includes: small regional marketers, large international wholesale and retail energy suppliers, billing and metering firms, Internet energy providers, energy-related software developers, risk managers, energy brokerage firms, and information technology providers. Our membership has both affiliated and unaffiliated companies.
For information on the Summer Meeting, other upcoming events, or for copies of NEM policy papers, contact NEM's Washington, DC headquarters at (202) 333-3288 or its Web site at www.energymarketers.com.
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