The Vendor is required to provide for consulting help concern matters related to ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs, grid modernization, integrated distribution planning, advanced metering infrastructure, advanced rate design, cost allocation, utility customer data sharing, performance-based ratemaking, revenue decoupling, and distributed generation.
- Provide expert witness services to the office in connection with various proceedings that are, or become, pending before the commission.
- The review and analysis of issues impacting residential customers, and the development of positions and strategies to represent residential customers’ interests.
- In order to support these investigations include:
• Energy efficiency and electrification (program design, program implementation, financing, as well as evaluation, measurement, and verification (EM&V));
• Grid modernization, distribution system and distributed resource planning processes;
• Issues related to system and customer data (collection, customer access, third-party access, security, privacy, etc.);
• Performance-based rates and incentives, rate design, analysis of cost-of-service studies (both marginal and embedded);
• Revenue decoupling (i.e., regulatory initiatives that adjust revenues of electric and natural gas utilities to account for certain fluctuations in commodity sales);
• Integrated distribution planning for electric and gas utilities, as that process is described in sections 37 through 41 of the state revised statutes annotated, similar to (but more limited in scope than) what is commonly referred to in the utility industry as integrated resource planning.
- Deliverables may include:
• Review and analysis of revenue requirements filings, focusing on the impacts of such filings and proposals on residential customers;
• Development of alternatives or revisions to utility proposals in the areas of rate design, energy efficiency and electrification program design, distribution system planning, grid modernization investments, performance incentives, cost allocation, cost recovery, distributed generation, as well as the design and operation of utility customer data platforms;
• Assistance in the preparation of discovery requests related to the filings and the relief requested;
• Review and analysis of the companies’ responses to discovery requests;
• Preparation of pre-filed written testimony on behalf of the agency;
• Responses to discovery requests on testimony;
• Review and analysis of rebuttal testimony, if any;
• Assistance with possible settlement discussions;
• Assistance with hearing preparation including drafting questions for cross examination;
• Attendance at technical sessions and/or hearings as needed to assist the agency;
• Assistance with the preparation of legal pleadings, including motions to compel responses to discovery requests and post-hearing briefs;
• Participation in task forces, working groups and committees when these become appropriate forums for presenting and discussing policy options.
- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: April 30, 2025