Utility efforts to recover costs at the state level have thus far been unsuccessful — they have seen a load decline of about 5% nationwide, according to Brattle Group, but a direct rate recovery has been deemed likely too large to put directly on ratepayers, according to analysts.
On Thursday’s panel, utilities broadly acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic shutdown has not put their companies at any real risk, but continued to caution that greater hazards could appear in the future, and encouraged FERC to provide flexibility and certainty.
