Bulletin – Extension to Specified Penalties Program
On March 27, 2020, the AUC issued Bulletin 2020-10: Suspension of Specified Penalties Program for Self-Reported Contraventions, which suspended the issuance of notices of specified penalties for self-reported contraventions until June 18, 2020. The AUC announced it has extended the operation of Bulletin 2020-10 until September 30, 2020. The AUC explained that this extension would promote the self-disclosure of contraventions while still allowing Alberta’s electric and natural gas utilities, service providers, and retailers to continue their focus on helping their customers during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
In addition to the measures set out in Bulletin 2020-10, the AUC indicated it would continue to exercise its regulatory discretion around the issuance of notices of specified penalties under Rule 032: Specified Penalties for Contravention of AUC Rules. Until September 30, 2020, the AUC stated it would limit its consideration of specified penalties to contraventions that are not self-reported, or that resulted in disconnections of a customer’s site in error for a period in excess of 24 hours regardless of whether or not the contravention was self-reported.
