Program Administrators Filed EE Business Plans and Portfolio Plans
Energy Efficiency (“EE”) Program Administrators (“PA”), including the IOUs, Regional Energy Networks ("RENs"), and Marin Clean Energy (“MCE”), all filed individual applications for approval of their 2024-2031 Strategic Business Plan and 2024-2027 Portfolio Plan. In addition, Redwood Coast Energy Authority (“RCEA”) filed a Motion requesting approval of a new REN focused on rural communities. The Applications have been consolidated for review in a single proceeding.
Background
In accordance with the Commision's rules set in the EE rulemaking proceeding, parties filed an eight-year business plan and a four-year portfolio plan:
The eight-year business plan describes the PA’s strategic EE plan for Program Years ("PYs") 2024-2031, and containing sector-level strategies, metrics, and an eight-year budget.
The four-year portfolio plan provides a more detailed description of the EE portfolio and budget for PYs 2024-2027. The Commission requires that the portfolio plan specifically contain: detailed sector and program strategies; annual budgets totaling to a four-year revenue requirement; cost-effectiveness showings over the four-year period; and program implementation plans.
Redwood Coast Energy Authority (“RCEA”) on Behalf of Rural Region Energy Network (“RuralREN”)
RCEA submitted a Motion requesting approval of the formation of a new REN called RuralREN, which consists of RCEA, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, the County of San Luis Obispo, the High Sierra Energy Foundation, the San Joaquin Clean Energy Organization, and the Sierra Business Council.
RCEA submitted the Portfolio Application through a Motion rather than filing a new application as D.21-05-031 requires for “all current energy efficiency program administrators.
RuralREN will be an equity-focused REN that addresses the specific needs of rural communities by offering EE programs that “fill the gaps” left when existing EE programs don’t fully reach rural communities or aren’t tailored to meet the specific needs of rural communities.
MCE
In addition to its eight-year Business Plan and four-year EE Portfolio Plan, MCE also requests that the Commission authorize funding for MCE to continue to implement its Peak FLEXmarket program through Program Year 2027. Peak FLEXmarket uses a proven “pay-for-performance” (P4P) structure to deliver energy savings and demand reductions during summer peak periods
Over the eight-year business plan period, MCE Requests a total budget of $158,280,762 for programming broken out by sector in the table below:
MCE's four-year budget, disaggregated by sector is as follows:
SCE
SCE seeks approval of its Business and Portfolio Plans, with a total portfolio request of $1.56 billion for 2024-2027, also seeks approval of certain new policy recommendations including:
A phase down of gas appliance incentives, to further reduce future GHG emissions and encourage the adoption of higher-efficiency electric alternatives;
The adoption of a single stage solicitation process, which will enable portfolio administrators to more quickly address EE market needs;
Modifying existing statewide program policy, including by eliminating the 25 percent budget requirement for statewide programs, discontinuing the statewide lighting program, and allowing portfolio administrators to offer local upstream and midstream program offerings where such measures are not included in the corresponding statewide program, to allow for EE portfolios to better match the needs of the market;
Modifying the definition of “hard-to-reach” to include the Public sector as a third qualifying category of hard-to-reach customers, which will encourage program implementers to focus on public sector customers in addition to those in other sectors; and
Sunsetting certain EE compliance requirements that are no longer useful, necessary, or whose benefits are not outweighed by the administrative burden imposed by such requirements, benefitting customers and EE portfolio administrators by reducing costs and increasing their ability to focus on more effective requirements.
Tri-County Regional Energy Network (“3C-REN”)
The Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN) is a partnership between the Counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.
3C-REN requests $71,367,489 for the four-year portfolio period and $155,367,654 for the full eight-year strategic plan period, continue operating four existing, successful programs and launch three new programs to fill gaps in energy efficiency services, pilot innovative programs, and hard-to-reach customers.
SDG&E
SDG&E seeks approval of energy efficiency 8-year funding in the amount of $713.923 million. SDG&E also seeks approval of incremental demand response annual funding in the amount of $4.750 million for 2024 through 2031
PG&E
PG&E requests approval of its revenue requirement request for approximately $1.4 billion for the first four-year portfolio cycle covering 2024-2027. This includes approximately $1.1 billion for PG&E's EE portfolio and approximately $272.4 million on behalf of approved RENs and CCAs within PG&E territory.
