GREAT NEWS TO REPORT FROM TRENTON!! The Board, following BPU Staff's recommendation, just DENIED JCP&L's request for an interlocutory appeal of Judge Cookson's order regarding the evidence.
This means that Judge Cookson's order throwing out big chunks of JCP&L's Rejoinder Report will STAND. The full Rejoinder Report will NOT be on the record. That is fantastic news for us.
So now we are back on track after that little sideshow JCP&L caused. We had to spend unanticipated time and money responding to it, but it ended in our favor.
UP NEXT:
* All the parties have to submit their summary briefs to the judge in ~3 weeks. We had a bunch of info in our draft brief that was directly related to that Rejoinder Report. Anything that had related to the stuff that has now been struck has to be edited/pulled.
* after all the briefs are shared, each party can file a response brief responding to the other parties' summary briefs. 3 week timeline for this phase too.
* then it's officially in the judge's hands. She has up to 45 days to issue her decision, but she can ask for an extension.
of their monthly public meetings. So we are looking at a solid 6 weeks -- around November 6 -- until the judge's clock starts ticking. And from there, it could be anywhere from one day to 45 days (or more) for her to issue her decision, we have no idea. 45 days brings us to December 21st. Dec 19 is the December BPU board meeting date. It is pretty much impossible for the BPU to be able to issue an order on this at that meeting.
So kids, looks like the RAGE will be continuing into 2018. IT AIN'T OVER, BUT IT IS GOING WELL. We won today's battle. War is not over yet, but we can head into the weekend feeling good. RAGE ON!!!!