“We are making an effort to review this issue,” CUC Executive Director Antonio Muna said.
But CUC has already renewed the contracts of its consultants because they are still necessary, he added.
The Senate Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communications revealed that CUC and the Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission have paid $1.028 million since 2009 for the contracts of their consultants.
Muna said they still need the services of CUC general counsel Deborah Fisher, CUC regulatory attorney Alan Barak and Economist.com.
Although Georgetown Consulting is working directly with CPUC, CUC is the one paying for its contract, he added.
According to the law CUC pays the cost of the rate process which includes the services of CPUC, Muna said.
The cost includes the hiring of CPUC’s administrative hearing officer, Georgetown Consulting, which determines and reviews the rate process, he added.
Georgetown is the regulatory consultant of CPUC.
Muna said CUC started dealing with CPUC in Sept. 2008 without a chief financial officer and other personnel on board that could help generate reports required to be submitted to the commission.
However, he said, these costs will be reduced.
CUC has already hired Charles Warren as its chief financial officer and other officials that can help CUC comply with the federal stipulated orders, Muna said.
He added that Warren started working for CUC in February and is addressing the rate process.
