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NARUC Commissioner Lead: Commissioner Jeanne Fox (NJ BPU)

NARUC Committees: Committee on Energy and the Environment

Project Summary: In brief, this project will address five areas targeting greenhouse gas emissions reductions through market-based energy efficiency and clean energy measures:

• Regulatory Structures for a Low/No Carbon Future
• Regulatory and Technical Best Practices on Portfolio Management
• Instructional Design Workgroup for New Commission & Staff Clean Energy Training
• Support for the National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency
• Smart Grid and Energy Efficiency: Policies and Best Practices 

Activity Since February 2011: NARUC’s Grants & Research Department planned and hosted a large workshop at the NARUC Winter meetings in Washington, DC titled: Up in the Air: What Utility and Air Regulators Need to Know about new EPA Rules.

The ERE Committee hosted a webinar June 17 titled: Air Planning, Utility Planning, and Clean Energy – An Introductory Discussion and will continue this discussion at the ERE Staff Subcommittee meeting at the NARUC Summer Meetings, July 17.

NARUC staff has also been involved in the DOE/EPA State Energy Efficiency Program (SEE Action) and has contributed extensively to the workgroups on utility motivation, commercial buildings, and customer information, as well as serving as a resource to State officials who cannot participate in the effort.

Resources

State/Federal RPS Collaborative 2/11/2009
This presentation was put together by Charlie Kubert of the Clean Energy Group. It describes the work to date by the State/Federal RPS Collaborative. This presentation was also given by Com. Reha to the Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment at the 2009 NARUC Winter Meetings. For more information on the Collaborative visit: http://www.cleanenergystates.org/JointProjects/State-Federal-RPS.htm

New Energy Efficiency Mortgages 8/11/2008
High energy bills and crippling mortgage payments are some of the top headlines in the news, with the most pain being felt in low-income households. Commissions may be able to help! The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and the Energy Programs Consortium (EPC) invite you to learn about a new financial tool that will ease the financial burden of being a homeowner and ratepayer, particularly for low-income individuals and families. The new energy efficient mortgage (EEM) program is designed to make energy efficiency investments more affordable while simultaneously leveraging the benefits of these investments to achieve a better mortgage deal for low-income residents. Mark Wolfe, the Executive Director of the Energy Programs Consortium is the first speaker. He is followed by Brian Ng of the U.S. EPA National ENERGY STAR Residential program. Jo-Ann Choate of the Maine State Housing Authority and Howard Banker of the Opportunity Finance Network provide updates on state and local efforts to launch the EEM product.

Reference Manual and Procedures for Implementation of the "PURPA Standards" in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 8/11/2008
Kenneth Rose, Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University and Mike Murphy, Ohio State University
This is intended to be used as an aid to state commissions and utilities as they consider the federal standards that are part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This is an update of the 1979 "Reference Manual and Procedures for Implementing PURPA" that provided assistance to commissions and utilities when they were implementing the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) of 1978 and the 2006 "Reference Manual and Procedures for Implementation of the 'PURPA Standards' in the Energy Policy Act of 2005." This manual is sponsored, as the 1979 and 2006 manuals were also, by the American Public Power Association (APPA), the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

Energy Portfolio Management: Tools & Resources for Regulators 3/24/2008
Synapse Energy Economics / NARUC Grants & Research
A guide to Portfolio Management in the Electricity Sector for State Regulators, commissioned by the Energy Resources and Environment Committee through NARUC's Grants & Research Department.

Decoupling for Electric and Gas Utilities: Frequently Asked Questions 9/13/2007
Revenue Decoupling is gaining increasing attention as Public Utility Commissions and others explore ways to align electric and natural gas utility revenue mechanisms with demand-side resources. This FAQ provides an overview of decoupling for the electric and natural gas sectors, gives examples of State experiences, highlights some of the issues that may face Public Utility Commissions investigating decoupling, and provides resources for those interested in learning more.

Model Interconnection Procedures and Agreement for Small Distributed Generation Resources 10/1/2003
Over the last few years, several States -- California, Texas, New York, and Ohio -- have completed distributed generation (DG) interconnection procedures and agreements for small generators after extensive stakeholder processes. Other States have begun to consider how to implement DG. The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) has adopted a number of principles, policies, and resolutions recognizing the importance of DG to the nation's energy systems.

Model Distributed Generation Interconnection Procedures and Agreement 7/1/2002
Over the last few years, several States -- California, Texas, New York, and Ohio -- have completed distributed generation (DG) interconnection procedures and agreements for small generators after extensive stakeholder processes. Other States have begun to consider how to implement DG. The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) has adopted a number of principles, policies, and resolutions recognizing the importance of DG to the nation's energy systems.

Policy and Technical Issues Associated with ISO Demand Response Programs 7/1/2002
Who can forget Economics 101? Supply and demand. Market clearing prices. Economic efficiency. Elasticity. For too long, the demand side of the electricity equation has been neglected, dismissed, discounted, or ignored. Too often, the proposed solution to any problem has been more supply. Now, after the price and reliability problems of the last couple of years in many regions of the country, demand is having its due. It saved the bacon for mo re than one region in 2000 and 2001.

More Distributed Generation with Pay-As-You-Save 11/1/2001
The market-based Pay-As-You-Save (PAYS) approach to energy efficiency investment was first described in the authors' December 1999 paper. PAYS allows customers to pay the total cost for certified cost-effective energy efficient measures over time using a portion of their expected savings. PAYS eliminates the customer's obligation to pay a large sum up front or to pay for savings that they may never receive. The first PAYS pilot program in the nation is awaiting approval from the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission for a January 1, 2002, start up.

The Renewables Portfolio Standard: A Practical Guide 2/1/2001
The large-scale production of electricity from renewable energy sources began in the 1980s, when several states aggressively pursued the implementation of the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (Hamrin and Rader 1993). Comparatively little progress was made during decade of the 1990s, due in part to impending restructuring of the electric utility industry and the perceived incompatibility of PURPA and regulatory resource planning techniques with competitive electricity markets (Rader and Wiser 1999). As part of electricity restructuring efforts in the last few years, however, eight states have adopted a new renewable energy policy -- the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) -- that promotes renewable energy in a way that is consistent and compatible with competitive electricity markets.

Charging for Distribution Utility Services: Issues in Rate Design 12/1/2000
All regulators understand the importance of rate design. So do customers. Even those who have never given it a moment's consideration implicitly understand that there is a direct relationship between the price of a good and their willingness to purchase it. Price - both its level and its form - is a powerful determinant of consumer behavior. Accordingly, the setting and design of rates is one of the regulator's most effective means by which to achieve desired policy objectives.

Performance Based Regulation for Distribution Utilities 12/1/2000
This report provides regulators and their staffs with practical advice on performance-based regulation (PBR) for distribution utilities. It focuses, in particular, on how to design and evaluate PBRs that encourage deployment of cost-effective distributed resources - both smaller-scale dispersed generation and end-use efficiency. Most commissions will confront PBR issues in context of a particular utility proposal. Of course, no report can anticipate all of the issues or details that such a filing will raise; but it is both possible and worthwhile to describe a relatively straightforward series of steps and questions that can guide commissions and their staffs in dealing with the most important issues. For commissions that have the luxury of considering PBR outside the context of a particular case, this same set of steps and questions will help form the foundation of a general PBR rule.

A Survey of State Incentives Encouraging Improved Environmental Performance of Base-Load Electric Generation Facilities: Policy and Regulatory Initiatives
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), the National Association State Energy Officials (NASEO), and the Environmental Council of States (ECOS) represent a strong coalition of State officials who are influential in shaping State and Federal energy policy and programs. NARUC, ECOS, and NASEO cooperatively developed a comprehensive survey to collect and describe different State approaches and/or incentives for improved environmental performance of fossil-based electricity generators. This survey builds upon the research already compiled on clean coal technology deployment through the NARUC/U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Partnership for Advanced Clean Coal Technology.1 The survey addresses current State-based: Regulatory policy incentives; Tax incentives; Finance mechanisms; Rate making treatments; Rate of return and cost recovery rules; and other approaches to encourage better environmental performance of base-load electricity generation facilities of electric utilities.

Webinar: Bridging Clean Air and Peak Demand

Bridging Clean Air and Peak Demand 10/21/2011