Section 40. Dispute resolution

A. Customers and utilities shall seek to resolve all disputes arising out of the exemption process established under this chapter pursuant to the provisions of this section.

B. In the event of any such dispute, either party shall furnish the other a written notice of dispute. The notice shall describe in detail the nature of the dispute. The parties shall make good faith efforts to resolve the dispute informally within 10 business days of the receipt of such notice.

C. If any such dispute has not been resolved within 10 business days following receipt of the notice, either party may seek resolution assistance from the commission's Division of Energy Regulation where such matter will be treated as an informal complaint under the commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (5VAC5-20).

Alternatively, the parties may, upon mutual agreement, seek resolution through the assistance of a dispute resolution service for the purpose of assisting the parties in (i) resolving the dispute, or (ii) selecting an appropriate dispute resolution method or mechanism (e.g., mediation, settlement judge, early neutral evaluation, or technical expert) to assist the parties in resolving their dispute. In any such dispute resolution proceeding, each party shall conduct all negotiations in good faith and shall be responsible for 1/2 of any charges for the dispute resolution provider, but each party shall bear its own legal fees and other costs incurred as a result of the dispute resolution process.

D. If any such dispute remains unresolved following the parties' good faith exercise of the dispute resolution alternatives set forth in this section, either party may file a formal complaint with the commission pursuant to the commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (5VAC5-20).

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 26, Issue 07, eff. December 1, 2009.

Statutory Authority

§§ 12.1-13 and 56-585.1 of the Code of Virginia.