Corsale v. Sperian Energy Corp.

374 F. Supp. 3d 445
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedApril 10, 2019
DocketCivil Action No. 18-996
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 374 F. Supp. 3d 445 (Corsale v. Sperian Energy Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Corsale v. Sperian Energy Corp., 374 F. Supp. 3d 445 (W.D. Pa. 2019).

Opinion

Marilyn J. Horan, United States District Judge

Plaintiffs John Corsale and David Taylor, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, bring a putative class action against Defendant Sperian Energy Corporation under Pennsylvania common law and Pennsylvania's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, 73 P.S. § 201-1 et seq. (ECF No. 31 ). The Complaint was first filed by Plaintiff Corsale on May 24, 2018 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. (ECF No. 1 ). Defendant Sperian Energy moved to transfer venue to the Western District of Pennsylvania, (ECF No. 13 ), which the court granted on July 19, 2018, (ECF No. 15 ).

On August 21, 2018, Plaintiff Corsale, now joined by Plaintiff Taylor, filed an Amended Complaint with leave of court. (ECF No. 31 ). On September 25, 2018, Defendant Sperian Energy filed a Motion to Dismiss for failure to state a claim under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). (ECF No. 36 ). The parties subsequently filed briefs and notice of supplemental authority for the Court's consideration. (ECF Nos. 37, 46, 49, 52, 53, 54, 56, 60). In addition to its brief in support of the Motion to Dismiss, Defendant Sperian Energy submitted additional evidence for the Court's consideration. (ECF Nos. 36-2 through 36-10). On March 15, 2019, the Court notified the parties that, in accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(d), the Court would be treating the Motion to Dismiss, at least in part, as a Motion for Summary Judgment. (ECF No. 55 ; see also ECF No. 59). As explained again by the Court at the April 2, 2019 oral argument, the only matter that would be considered in the nature of summary judgment would be the materials that Defendant Sperian Energy attached to its Motion to Dismiss. Plaintiffs were given notice of the Court's potential consideration of these materials in order to afford Plaintiffs the opportunity to respond and argue. After careful consideration, however, the Court finds it does not need the extra-pleading materials to decide this Motion, as these materials ultimately do not alter the Court's analysis of the present issues.

For the follow reasons, Defendant Sperian Energy's Motion to Dismiss will be granted.

I. Factual Background

The wholesale electricity market is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory *449Commission and, in Pennsylvania, is administered by the PJM Interconnection. (ECF No. 31, at ¶ 69 ). Utility companies purchase electricity in the wholesale electricity market and then resell the electricity to their customers. Id. Historically, energy markets were heavily regulated, and "[t]he rates that utilities could charge were strictly controlled." Id. at ¶ 2. However, in the 1990s, state energy markets, including Pennsylvania's, were deregulated in the hope that competition between energy providers would help lower energy costs for consumers. Id. at ¶¶ 2, 23. Deregulation resulted in the emergence and growth of electric generation suppliers. Id. at ¶ 2.

An electric generation supplier, or EGS, is an entity that, like a utility, buys electricity at the wholesale rate from companies that produce energy, and then sells that electricity to consumers with a markup. Id. at ¶ 25. Through deregulation, EGSs are supposed to able to accomplish a reduction in consumers' costs by using "innovative purchasing strategies," such as "owning electricity production facilities; purchasing electricity from wholesale marketers and brokers at the price available at or near the time it is used by the retail consumer; and purchasing electricity in advance by purchasing for the delivery of electricity in the future at a predetermined price." Id. EGSs do not produce or deliver the electricity to consumers; rather, the electricity production companies continue to deliver the electricity to consumers' utility companies, which in turn deliver the electricity to the consumers. Id. In other words, EGSs "supply" electricity by "play[ing] a middleman role" and acting as "brokers and traders" of electricity. Id. at ¶¶ 25, 27. Consequently, "[t]he customer's existing utility continues to bill the customer for both the energy supply and delivery costs," and "[t]he only difference to the customer is which company sets the price for the customer's energy supply." Id. at ¶ 27.

Defendant Sperian Energy Corporation is an EGS that has its principal place of business in Houston, Texas and operates in the Pennsylvania market. Id. at ¶¶ 20, 22. In or around June 2015, Defendant Sperian Energy solicited Plaintiff John Corsale, a citizen of Pennsylvania, by mail, promising that Defendant Sperian Energy "would provide him a competitive rate if he switched" from his utility company, Med-Ed, to Defendant Sperian Energy. Id. at ¶¶ 18, 40. Upon receiving the solicitation letter, Plaintiff Corsale called Defendant Sperian Energy to learn more, and Defendant Sperian Energy allegedly "reaffirmed its promises of a competitive rate if Plaintiff switched to its electricity plan." Id. at ¶ 40. During the phone call, Plaintiff Corsale switched from his existing utility to Defendant Sperian Energy. Id. at ¶ 41. Plaintiff Corsale thereafter received a welcome letter, dated June 30, 2015, along with a document detailing the "Terms and Conditions" of the agreement. (ECF No. 31-1, at 2; ECF No. 31, at ¶ 49 ). This initial writing stated that the parties agreed Plaintiff Corsale was bound for a three-month term, during which time he would pay a fixed rate for electricity. (ECF No. 31-1, at 2). The letter also stated that Defendant Sperian Energy would charge a monthly Energy Service Fee of $ 4.93, and explained that if Plaintiff Corsale wished to terminate his agreement with Defendant Sperian Energy during the initial three-month term, he would be subject to a $ 49 early termination fee. Id. at 2-3. Additionally, the Terms and Conditions explained that if Plaintiff Corsale chose to continue with Defendant Sperian Energy beyond the initial three-month term, the agreement would roll over to a month-to-month variable rate. (ECF No. 31, at ¶¶ 43, 47 ). The Terms and Conditions stated

*450This agreement does not renew automatically. At the end of the initial term, if you do not choose a new product, your term products will rollover into a month-to-month variable product.... You will receive two written notices from us either as a bill message or in a separate email or direct mail that precedes either the expiration date of your Agreement or the effective date of any proposed changes in Terms. We will explain your options to you in these two advanced notifications.
If you have a variable product agreement with us, Sperian Energy may amend the terms of this Agreement at any time, consistent with any applicable law, rule or regulation, by providing notice to Customer of such amendment at least thirty (30) days prior to the effective date thereof. Sperian Energy will supply Customer with a current version of this document annually and upon request.

(ECF No. 31-1, at 3-4). As to the variable rate price structure, the Terms and Conditions provided

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