Overview
There are several options available for those who wish to participate in or monitor the proceedings of a particular Public Service Commission case. You can request to be a party to a proceeding, subscribe to the service list of a case, or simply monitor the case on the Document and Matter Management (DMM) website.
Find more information about logging in or creating a DPS account.
Parties
Generally, parties commit to contribute to the development of a complete record in a proceeding by conducting discovery, submitting testimony, briefs, or other formal written comments, and/or participating in evidentiary hearings, procedural conferences and other formal events conducted in the case. (Non-parties participate in PSC proceedings by filing informal comments, such as letters, in contrast to the formal comments filed by parties in response to Commission notices.)
For some PSC proceedings, including rate cases, a person need not be a party to petition for rehearing of the Commission's final decision; however, in some other proceedings, only those who were parties in the case may petition for rehearing. The right to challenge a PSC decision in New York State Court may also be limited to those who were parties to the PSC proceeding.
Under Commission rules, 16 NYCRR 4.3, you must seek permission to intervene as a party from the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), if one is assigned to the case, or from the Secretary if there is no ALJ assigned. The standard for allowing intervention is whether your participation is likely to contribute to the development of a complete record or is otherwise fair and in the public interest; whether other parties are unfairly prejudiced is also considered.
How to Request Party Status
If you are a registered user of the NYS Public Service Commission's Document and Matter Management (DMM) System, you may submit your request for party status by clicking on the Request for Party Status button in the upper right of any case page, then click on the Request for Party Status button at the bottom of the Parties column. Registration saves time and allows you to see and manage all of your service and party list subscriptions.
When you submit the request for party status, you will be provisionally added to the party list, subject to the right of other parties to object and subject to the final determination of the ALJ or Secretary. You will be required to mail your request to anyone on the party list who cannot receive email service.
If you do not wish to register on the NYS Public Service Commission's DMM System, you can download the Request for Party Status form. Please follow the instructions on the form.
Service List
Interested persons who wish to monitor the proceedings of a particular case can do so without the formal commitment to become party in the proceeding. The persons who subscribe to the service list of a case will receive an email with a direct link to the documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulings. Persons unable or unwilling to receive such electronic notification will receive hard copies of Commission-issued documents by regular mail.
How to Subscribe to the Service List
If you are a registered user of the NYS Public Service Commission's Document and Matter Management (DMM) System, you may submit your service list subscription by clicking on the Subscribe to Service List button on any case page, then click on the Subscribe to Service List button on the bottom of the Service List column. Registration saves time and allows you to see and manage all of your service and party list subscriptions.
Currently, another significant advantage of online registration is that registered users who subscribe to a service list for a case have the option to receive an email with a direct link to all documents filed by the parties to the case, such as testimony, briefs, correspondence and formal comments, as well as the Commission-issued orders, notices and rulings. Those who submit their service list request by other means, such as submission of the form, can only receive links to Commission-issued documents.
If you do not wish to register on the NYS Public Service Commission's DMM System, you can download the Request for Service List form. Please follow the instructions on the form.
See also, How to Subscribe to Matter/Case Service List document.
Web Monitoring
Interested persons who choose not to sign up to receive email notifications, can view our website at their convenience to check on the status of a case. All documents filed by parties, correspondence, hearing transcripts, and documents issued by the Commission in a given case are posted on the website for that case. In addition, all comments submitted by the general public are posted under the 'public comments' tab for the same case.
No registration is required.