By Andrew Maykuth

Inquirer Staff Writer, Friday, January 28, 2011

In the new world of competitive electricity markets, one alternative power supplier has attracted the attention of regulators in two states.North American Power, a Connecticut company, is facing a deceptive-practices complaint from the Maryland Public Service Commission that could lead to the loss of its license there.

And in Pennsylvania, North American's salespeople have raised eyebrows with aggressive tactics, including a website apparently designed to look like papowerswitch.com, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission site aimed at assisting customers with deregulated markets.

"Oh, wow, this is a concern," Irwin A. "Sonny" Popowsky, Pennsylvania's consumer advocate, said after viewing the copycat website, which uses the name papowerswitch.org instead of ".com."

North American Power officials, responding to questions from The Inquirer on Thursday, scrambled to assure the PUC and Popowsky that the imitation website was not sanctioned by it but had been put up by one of its brokers, who receive commissions for signing up customers.

"Consistent with North American Power's zero-tolerance policy for these violations, North American Power has terminated the independent representative and taken steps to have the site taken down," said Carrie Waible O'Brien, a company spokeswoman.

Jennifer Kocher, the PUC's spokeswoman, said the commission was reviewing its legal options.

"PUC regulations and our marketing guidelines dictate that the license holder is responsible for any fraudulent, deceptive, or unlawful marketing acts performed by its agents or representatives," she said.

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