** LIVE: Utilities that have and have not suspended disconnects amid COVID-19 ([link removed])
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By David Pomerantz on Mar 13, 2020 09:45 pm
Updated: March 15, 20:10 PT

Updated: March 15, 10:25 PT

Updated: March 14, 12:15 PT

If you have information to add, please fill out our survey here ([link removed]) .

Many utilities that sell electricity and gas around the United States are suspending disconnections of customers who do not pay their bills during the coronavirus crisis, or are being ordered to suspend disconnections by regulators or other government officials.

Other utilities are saying that they will not suspend disconnections, or are making commitments that appear to be more limited in scope.

The Energy and Policy Institute (EPI) is collecting data based on published reports about which utilities are suspending disconnections, and which public utility commissions or other governmental bodies are ordering suspensions. EPI reached out on Friday, March 13, to about two dozen large utility companies directly to ask whether they would be suspending disconnections.

We will be updating the tables below this text with more results on a rolling basis.

– Government bodies have ordered disconnection suspensions statewide in Connecticut, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio and Wisconsin. Illinois and West Virginia regulators are “urging” utilities to suspend disconnections, and the Governor of South Carolina is “request[ing] that all regulated utilities and cooperatives … do not suspend or disconnect essential services.”

– Cities that are taking action to suspend disconnections include Austin, Minneapolis (for its water utility), Seattle, and Tallahassee, plus many others.

– Many investor-owned utility companies have suspended disconnections, including Ameren, American Electric Power, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Evergy, FirstEnergy, Georgia Power, NV Energy, PECO, PG&E, Southern California Edison, Xcel Energy and others.

– Other utilities have not suspended disconnections, or are not stating clearly how broadly they are applying customer relief policies:
* In Arizona, while electric utilities Arizona Public Service and Tucson Electric Power have said that they would suspend disconnections, the Salt River Project, a government agency which sells electricity, has said that it is not suspending disconnections. Instead, Salt River Project will “make every effort to work with our customers to avoid disconnections,” the Phoenix New Times reported ([link removed]) . Southwest Gas, an investor-owned gas utility in the state, also offered only to “work with” customers facing financial hardship, “whatever the reason,” according to a spokesperson.

* UPDATE: Entergy published a statement on Saturday, March 14 updating its policy and saying that it was “temporarily suspending customer disconnects for the next 30 days as we continue to monitor the situation and may extend the period if necessary.”[From Friday, March 13]: In Louisiana, Entergy New Orleans is regulated by the City of New Orleans, not the state. Entergy New Orleans officials would not immediately commit to suspending disconnections when asked by members of the New Orleans City Council on Thursday, according to The Lens ([link removed]) . Later that day, Entergy New Orleans sent a letter to council members saying that the company would “temporarily halt customer disconnects for the next 30 days if nonpayment is the result of the COVID-19 virus.” The company did not offer any detail about what a customer would have to do to prove that “nonpayment is the result of the
COVID-19 virus.”

* In Florida, Florida Power & Light sent customers an email on Friday advising customers having trouble paying their bills to look to federal, state, and local resources, with no comments on disconnection policies. FPL directed customers to FPL.com/help

* In Michigan, Consumers Energy told EPI that it is suspending shutoffs only for certain customer classes:
+ “We are suspending shutoffs for non-pay for low-income and senior customers beginning March 16, 2020 through April 5, 2020,” said Director of Media Relations Katie Carey. “Senior citizens and qualified low-income customers already enrolled in our Winter Protection Program have already had their end dates extended through April 30, 2020, without any additional actions required on their part.”
+ Deadline Detroit is reporting a similar policy from DTE Energy ([link removed]) .

* NRG Energy, with service territory across multiple states, issued ([link removed]) a statement saying that it extended its “ongoing support to those who may need us,” but offered no comments on updates to its disconnection policies. NRG directed customers to visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s website.

EPI is waiting to hear responses from other utility companies that have not made public statements on disconnections, including Florida Power & Light, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power, and others.

Alabama Power has not responded to queries from EPI, and has issued a statement ([link removed]) about its response to the crisis without mentioning anything about disconnection suspensions, despite its sister company Georgia Power announcing a suspension. The advocacy organization GASP (Greater Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution) is calling upon ([link removed]) Alabama Power to suspend disconnections until at least May 1 and to waive late payment charges.

Further results are below. If you know information contained here is inaccurate or dated, or if you work for a utility with information not included here, please email us at .

This list is generally focused on electric and gas utilities. Food & Water Watch is keeping track of water disconnection suspensions here ([link removed]) .


** Regulators or government bodies that have ordered disconnections suspended:
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Jurisdiction Suspending disconnections? Link or Notes Notes State
City of Austin, TX Yes [link removed] TX
City of Minneapolis Yes [link removed] MN
City of Piedmont, AL Yes [link removed] AL
City of Seattle Yes [link removed] The utilities policy will apply to residential and commercial Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) water and Seattle City Light electricity customers. WA
City of Statesboro, GA Yes [link removed] GA
Connecticut Yes [link removed] CT
Iowa Yes [link removed] The extended moratorium period will continue until May 1st, 2020. All IOUs, coops, and munis IA
Illinois Commerce Commission Unclear [link removed] The ICC is “urging” investor-owned utilities “to take immediate steps to cease disconnections for non-payment, and to suspend the imposition of late payment fees or penalties, until May 1.” IL
Louisiana Public Service Commission Yes [link removed] LA
Massachusetts Yes [link removed] MA
Mississippi Public Service Commission Yes [link removed] All water, electric, sewer and natural gas shutoffs for sixty days. Urges municipal utilities (out of jurisdiction) to follow suit. MI
New Jersey Yes [link removed] NJ
New York Yes [link removed] Utilities in New York have voluntarily agreed to this measure, according to the governor’s office. No order from the Public Service Commission is expected. NY
Ohio (Public Utilities Commission of Ohio) Yes [link removed] Commission directs all public utilities under its jurisdiction to review their service disconnection policies, practices, and tariff provisions and to promptly seek any necessary approval to suspend otherwise applicable requirements OH

Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission
Yes [link removed] Emergency order prohibiting electric, natural gas, water, wastewater, telecommunication and steam utility terminations PA
South Carolina Unclear [link removed] Request that all regulated utilities and cooperatives serving the State of South Carolina—including those not currently under the jurisdiction of ORS— do not suspend or disconnect essential services SC
West Virginia Unclear [link removed] PSC is urging all utilities to suspend disconnections WV
Wisconsin Public Service Commission Yes [link removed] Announced 3/13/20, citing public health emergency Executive Order 72 issued by Gov. Tony Evers on 3/12/20. WI


** Utilities that have suspended disconnections:
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Utility Suspended Disconnections? Link or Notes Notes States
Ameren Yes [link removed] IL, MO
American Electric Power Yes [link removed] AR, IN, KY, LA, MI, OH, OK, TN, TX, VA, WV
Arizona Public Service Yes [link removed] “for immediate future” AZ
Atlantic City Electric (Exelon company) Yes [link removed] NJ
Austin Energy Yes [link removed] TX
Avista Yes No public statement yet, but confirmed by EPI for Washington customers. WA
BGE Yes [link removed] BGE is suspending service disconnections and waiving new late payment charges at least until May 1 MD
Black Hills Energy Yes [link removed] AR, CO, IA, KS, MT, NE, SD, WY
Cascade Natural Gas Yes [link removed] OR, WA
Citizens Energy Yes [link removed] IN
City Light, Electric and Water (Springfield, IL) Yes Emailed press release. For electric and water. This will stay in effect until May 1, 2020, where at such time it will be re-evaluated. IL
City of Cleveland, OH Yes [link removed] OH
City of Columbus Yes [link removed] City of Columbus water and electric OH
City of Detroit Water Yes [link removed] Also turning water back on to disconnected households. MI
City of Tallahassee Yes [link removed] Suspension of service shutoffs for 60 days. FL
Chattanooga Gas Yes, though currently only for seven days. [link removed] Chattanooga Gas Company has temporarily suspended service disconnections for seven days TN
Cleco Power Yes [link removed] LA
ComEd Yes [link removed] We’re suspending disconnects for customers unable to pay their bills and waiving new late payments charges through at least May 1st. IL
ConEd Yes Screenshot of email to customers shared with EPI. NY
Consumers Energy Yes, for some customer classes only. Email to EPI. See also: [link removed] See quote at top of page. MI
CPS Energy Yes [link removed] TX
Delmarva Power Yes [link removed] DE
Dominion Energy (all subsidiaries) Yes [link removed] ID, NC, OH, SC, UT, VA, WV, WY
DTE Energy Yes, for some customer classes only. [link removed] DTE is … temporarily halting nonpayment shutoffs for low-income customers and seniors … through at least April 5. Customers already in the utility’s Senior Winter Protection Program have had their end dates automatically extended through May 3.

DTE says its payment assistance program may be available for customers who contract coronavirus or lose their income as a result of the outbreak.
Duke Energy (all subsidiaries) Yes [link removed] NC, FL, IN, KY, OH, SC, TN
Entergy Yes [link removed] AR, LA, MS, TX
Evansville Water and Sewer Utility Yes [link removed] Estimates about 350 customers will need their services restored and hopes to have it finished by next week IN
Evergy Yes [link removed] KS, MO
Eversource (MA) Yes Email to EPI MA
FirstEnergy Corp. (Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, Toledo Edison, Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power, Jersey Central Power & Light, Mon Power, Potomac Edison) Yes [link removed] OH, PA, NJ, WV, MD, NY
Illinois American Water Yes [link removed] Also restoring existing disconnections IL
Georgia Power Yes [link removed] Next 30 days, beginning 3/14. GA
GRU (city of Gainesville, FL) Yes [link removed] FL
JEA Yes [link removed] Updated policy after initially saying they would not suspend. FL
Knoxville Utilities Board Yes [link removed] TN
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Yes [link removed] “We have also deferred disconnections for non-payment through the remainder of March at this time.” CA
Meridian Township (water) Yes [link removed] MI
Memphis Light Gas and Water Yes [link removed] TN
Montana-Dakota Utilities Yes, though scope is unclear. [link removed] Montana-Dakota Utilities is implementing a moratorium on service disconnections for non-payments related to hardships incurred from COVID-19. MT, ND, SD, WY
National Grid Yes [link removed] NY, MA, RI
NIPSCO Yes [link removed] IN
Northwestern Energy Yes [link removed] In effect until further notice. MT, NE, SD
NV Energy Yes [link removed] NV
NW Natural Yes [link removed] ([link removed]) WA
OG&E (Oklahoma Gas & Electric) Yes

[link removed]
30 day suspension. AR, OK
Omaha Public Power District Yes [link removed] NE
Orange & Rockland and Rockland Electric Company Yes [link removed] NY, NJ
OWASA (water, Orange County NC) Yes [link removed] NC
Pacific Power Yes [link removed] OR, WA, CA
Pacific Power Yes [link removed] OR, WA, CA
PECO Yes [link removed] Suspending service disconnections and waiving new late payment charges through at least May 1, 2020 PA
PEPCO Yes [link removed] We are suspending service disconnections and waiving new late payment fees through at least May 1. DC
PG&E Yes [link removed] CA
Philadelphia Gas Works Yes [link removed] PA
Philadelphia Water Dept. Yes [link removed] The Philadelphia Water Department has suspended shut-offs for the next 60 days. PA
Portland General Electric Yes [link removed] OR
PSE&G (NJ) Yes [link removed] NJ
Puget Sound Energy Yes [link removed] Also suspended accrual of late fees. WA
Rocky Mountain Power Yes [link removed] UT, WY, ID
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) Yes [link removed] CA
San Diego Gas and Electric Company Yes [link removed] “The disconnection moratorium will remain in place until further notice … SDG&E will also waive late payment fees for business customers whose finances have been hit hard by the coronavirus.” CA
Santee Cooper Yes [link removed] No shutoffs through at least 4/2/20 SC
Snohomish PUD Yes [link removed] WA
Southern California Edison Yes [link removed] CA
Southern California Gas Yes, (appears to be for residential customers only.) [link removed] “Waiving late payment fee” for small business customers. CA
TECO (Tampa Electric Co.) Yes
[link removed] FL
Tennessee American Water Yes [link removed] Tennessee American Water will begin the restoration of service to previously shut-off customers. TN
Tucson Electric Power Yes [link removed] AZ
Xcel Energy Yes [link removed] CO, MN, MI, ND, NM, SD, TX, WI


** Utilities that have not clearly suspended disconnections, or have not responded to requests for comment:
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Utility Suspended Disconnections? Link or Source Notes State
Florida Power & Light No No reply to query from EPI yet. Email sent to customers does not address disconnection policies. FL
Huntsville Utilities (AL) No Direct email with Daniel Tait, EPI Shut off suspension is likely but has not yet activated this step. AL
NRG No [link removed] CT, DE, DC, IL, MD, MA, NJ, NY, OH, PA
Salt River Project No [link removed] The Salt River Project is not suspending disconnections, spokesperson Scott Harelson said, although the company has asked its customer service representatives to “make every effort to work with our customers to avoid disconnections.” AZ
Southern Company Gas No [link removed] IL, GA, VA, TN
Southwest Gas No [link removed] AZ
Alabama Power No [link removed] No reply to query from EPI yet AL
Gulf Power Unclear No reply to query from EPI yet FL
Lansing Board of Water & Light Yes, but water only, not electricity. [link removed] Appears to only cover water, not electricity. MI
Mississippi Power Unclear No reply to query from EPI yet MS
Southern Company Unclear No reply to query from EPI yet. “No information at this time” and directed me to contact the operating companies (GA, AL, MS) independently. GA, AL, MS

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