Vermont Business Magazine On August 30, 2018, the Vermont Public Utility Commission issued amendments to its procedures that govern the use of the Commission's online case management and filing system, known as ePUC, to make it easier for interested persons to participate in Commission proceedings. In part, the amendments largely eliminate the requirement that any document filed electronically using ePUC must also be filed with the Commission in paper.
Previously, the procedures governing the use of ePUC required parties to file a paper copy with the Commission of any document filed electronically. This requirement was imposed when ePUC was first introduced to the public, to ensure that paper copies of documents that were filed electronically were available in the event that errors were made in the electronic filing process or that the ePUC system did not function as planned.
The Commission's experience with ePUC since it first went live in January of 2017 has led it to determine that the paper filing requirement is no longer necessary in the majority of cases that are before it. The ePUC system has functioned as planned, and participants and parties have reported a positive experience using the system and found that when they have questions, the staff in the Clerk's office is responsive and helpful.
"We are pleased to be able to eliminate the requirement for paper filings in most cases before the Commission," said Commission Chair Anthony Roisman. "Further reducing the need for paper filings helps ease public participation in our proceedings by reducing costs."
The requirement for filing a paper copy of documents filed electronically in ePUC still exists for cases in which a regulated company is seeking to change the terms and conditions of a tariff, which is a document that sets forth a company's services and the rates and conditions that apply to those services. This is because ePUC was only recently made available for use in these tariff cases. Once users gain experience with ePUC in this category of cases, the Commission expects to eliminate the paper requirement for these cases as well.
Source: Vermont PUC 8.30.2018