The PUCO will host a series of energy efficiency workshops to solicit the views of stakeholders on whether cost-effective energy efficiency programs are an appropriate tool to manage electric generation costs, and how those fit into Ohio’s competitive electric and natural gas marketplaces.
5 workshops are scheduled from March 2022 through April 2022, and involve presenters from particular stakeholder groups.
The workshops will take place at approximately 2:00pm, and concluding at 4:00pm. The workshops will also be livestreamed on the PUCO’s YouTube channel and all workshops are open to the public.
How to participate
If you wish to present during an upcoming energy efficiency workshops, please send an email to energyefficiency@puco.ohio.gov.
The number of presenters may need to be limited to accommodate the time constraints for each workshop. However, anyone may attend a workshop or provide written comments as described below.
Questions
The PUCO has prepared the following questions to facilitate the discussions during the workshops. Responses and comments may be submitted by January 28, 2022 to energyefficiency@puco.ohio.gov. All written submissions will be posted to this webpage. Please avoid discussion of pending cases and pending litigation.
Energy efficiency questions:
1.) It is the policy of this state for electric service to “protect at-risk populations.” R.C. 4928.02(L). It is also the policy of this state to encourage innovation and market access for cost-effective demand-side retail electric service including demand-side management programs. R.C. 4928.02(D). In light of the termination of the mandated energy efficiency programs under R.C.4928.66, should electric distribution utilities (EDUs) implement energy efficiency programs? Should some or all programs be targeted to the elderly and low-income customers?
2.) Should EDUs offer energy efficiency programs to all residential customers? How should these programs be funded? Or, in order to promote competition, customer choice, and access to energy efficiency programs, should the EDUs implement cost-effective energy efficiency programs only for their residential standard service offer (SSO) customers, paid for through a bypassable rider? Why?
3.) Rather than promoting contemporaneous energy efficiency products/services through utilities and certified competitive energy/natural gas suppliers, should utilities offer programs only when private sector providers (not limited to competitive retail electric service (CRES) and competitive retail natural gas (CRNG) providers) fail to effectively deliver such products/services to the market?
4.) How should program magnitude be determined?
5.) State policy for electric service encourages the education of small business owners in the use of energy efficiency programs. R.C. 4928.02(M). Should EDUs offer energy efficiency programs to all small commercial customers, paid for by a nonbypassable rider with the option of an opt-out for those customers? Should EDUs offer energy efficiency programs only for small commercial SSO customers, paid for through a bypassable rider? For each EDU, which rate classes should be considered small commercial customers? How should small business customers be educated regarding energy efficiency programs?
6.) Are CRES providers prepared to meet demand for energy efficiency programs in the competitive market? Would the sale of energy efficiency measures be subject to the Consumer Sales Practices Act?
7.) For electric energy efficiency programs, are there obstacles to bidding residential and small commercial SSO customers’ energy efficiency savings into the PJM capacity market? Would the amount of revenue be de minimus? Given the absence of shared savings or administrative fees paid to EDUs, should the PUCO revisit the existing 80/20 sharing of capacity revenue?
8.) How should the PUCO measure success in transitioning from mandated energy efficiency programs to a market-based paradigm? Is it sufficient to measure year-over-year change in the amount of energy efficiency from Ohio that clears the PJM capacity market? What, if any, cost-effectiveness test should be used? What, if any, limitations should there be on which energy efficiency programs may be offered?
9.) Should the existing demand-side management programs implemented by the natural gas utilities be transitioned to the market-based paradigm where they offer efficiency programs only to nonshopping customers (except for at-risk populations)? R.C. 4929.03(A)(3). Are there differences in the electric and natural gas industries that would prevent competitive retail natural gas suppliers from meeting the demand for efficiency programs in a competitive market?
10.) What should be the application mechanism and process be for a company to pursue the offering of an energy efficiency program?
11.) What is the impact of FERC Order 2222 in designing energy efficiency or demand response programs in Ohio?
12.) How has the COVID-19 pandemic has affected energy efficiency programs for 2020-2021 offerings, and how might the pandemic have changed the nature of energy efficiency products and services going forward?
13.) What role, if any, should considerations such as artificial intelligence, data sharing, and privacy play in Ohio energy efficiency programs?
14.) What creative solutions have other jurisdictions and entities employed in the implementation of energy efficiency programs to accomplish objectives such as cost-effectiveness, customer education, benefits to at-risk populations, robust program adoption, and measured energy savings?
Comments Received
Joint comments of Dominion Energy Ohio, CenterPoint Energy Ohio & Columbia Gas of Ohio
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA)
Final Comments Received
Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison, the Illuminating Company
Ohio Manufacturers' Association
Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy
July 27, 2022 Commission statement
Energy Efficiency workshops:
March 2, 2022
This is the first energy efficiency workshop in the series that will focus on the electric and natural gas industries. View the event information here.
March 9, 2022
This is the second energy efficiency workshop in the series that will focus on the the business sector. This is a 2 part workshop with the 2nd part being held on March 30th. View the event information here.
March 23, 2022
This is the third energy efficiency workshop in the series that will focus on the consumer sector. View the event information here.
March 30, 2022
This is the fourth energy efficiency workshop in the series that will focus on the business sector. This is the 2nd part of our business workshops. View the event information here.
April 6, 2022
This is the last energy efficiency workshop in the series that will focus on the environmental sector. View the event information here.