The board of Electric Restructuring Education Group kicks off by selecting lead agency.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 1997--The Electric Restructuring Education Group (EREG), responsible for development and implementation of the Customer Education Program (CEP) in California, has achieved its first milestone by selecting a lead agency to educate all 34 million Californians about the electric industry restructuring.

DDB Needham Los Angeles, with additional offices in San Francisco, was selected to design and implement the most effective and creative consumer education program on electric industry restructuring for all Californians. Restructuring is to begin in California on Jan. 1, 1998.

EREG, created by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in March 1997, will educate customers about the coming changes in the restructured electric industry in California. The independent board, consisting of 19 members representing a wide cross-section of affiliations, will create a statewide CEP to be implemented by Sept. 1, 1997, and to run through May 31, 1998.

Members represent utilities, non-utility providers, consumer groups, advocates and unaffiliated concerned parties. The board met on May 6, 1997, for ad agency presentations. The board, with established selection criteria, decided which agency could provide the best statewide consumer education program.

DDB Needham was selected by the board to be the best choice because of its seasoned experience in consumer education programs. DDB's expertise includes the California Integrated Waste Management Program and the State of California Department of Recycling Program.

"The EREG board members are confident that the agency we selected will do a phenomenal job creating and communicating unbiased messages to all Californians," said Nancy Day of New Energy Ventures (NEV).

The next step is for the EREG board to work with DDB to develop the marketing plan for the CEP and submit it to the CPUC by May 30, 1997.

The EREG board elected officer positions are: Tama Greenberg and Retha Wellons (both unaffiliated public members) as co-chairs; Frances Grice, Advocates for Consumer Equity (consumer advocate), as vice chair; Chris Bjorklund, a consumer consultant (consumer advocate), as communications coordinator; and Nelson Holl, California Consumer Protection Foundation, as treasurer.

Other members of the EREG board include Pat Rodimer of PG&E, Carol Dorsey of SDG&E, Rebecca Rounds of SCE (all three represent large investor-owned utilities); Jan Mitchell of Pacificorp (midsize investor-owned utility); Arthur Brice of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (municipal utility); Laura Scher of Working Assets, Cheryl Dean of XENERGY, Nancy Day of NEV, Jan Smutny-Jones of Independent Energy Products (all four represent non-utility service providers); Gregory Wood of Supercuts (large commercial customer), Frances Chapman of the Environmental Defense Fund (environmental), Guillermo Rodriguez, Latino Issues Forum (bilingual outreach advocate); Lynn Maack, ORA (Office of Ratepayers Advocates); and Lorenzo Kristov, California Energy Commission (other state agency).

The board is designed to educate consumers about the restructured electric industry and new market structures; options available to consumers under Direct Access; and potential market abuses and consumer safeguards against these potential abuses.

The CEP desired outcome is to promote a competitive marketplace with multiple buyers and sellers and provide all electricity customers with sufficient and reliable information to be able to make informed and appropriate choices as to their electric service.

CONTACT: Cheryl Dean, 510/891-0446