Utility Intervention Archive

• Adjustment to Rocky Mountain Power's Demand Side Management (DSM) Tariff Rider - Docket No. 09-035-T08
  The purpose of this filing was to request an adjustment to the Demand Side Management (DSM) Cost Adjustment tariff rider (appearing on customer bills as a line item entitled “Customer Efficiency Services”) to collect approximately $85.4 million per year (a 6.1% increase) to support the acquisition of cost effective energy efficiency and load management resources. This Docket resulted in a settlement that allowed Rocky Mountain Power to increase it's DSM collection by 4.6%, and created a series of technical conferences that will examine how energy efficiency and DSM is a cost-effective resource.  In December, 2010 Rocky Mountain Power filed to decrease this collection rate to 3.7%.
   
• Investigative Docket on Third Party Financing for Renewable Energy Docket No. 09-999-12
  This docket and related policy measures had a significant impact on financing for future solar and other renewable energy projects in Utah. The Commission established this docket to investigate whether, and the extent to which, certain third-party arrangements for renewable energy generation are subject to the Commission's jurisdiction. The Commission requested comments or legal briefs and held a technical conference (11/23/09) to discuss specific terms and conditions surrounding third-party financing arrangements and other issues. This outcome of this docket helped inform legislative changes on this issue in 2010.  HB 145 - Renewable Energy Financing Provisions effectively addressed this matter for certain eligible entities (local and state government agencies, churches, schools, and other non-profits).
   
• Questar Gas Rate Case- Docket No. 09-057-16: Through this docket, Questar Gas Company is seeking approval to increase natural gas rates primary to cover the cost of replacing aging natural gas infrastructure.  Among other things, the docket also seeks to make the “Conservation Enabling Tariff” (CET) permanent. This regulatory mechanism allows Questar to offer its ThermWise energy efficiency programs to Utah families, businesses, builders, and large customers. UCE’s primary interest in this docket is in advocating that the CET is made permanent, allowing Questar to remain profitable while investing in comprehensive energy efficiency and conservation programs.
   
• Interconnection Standards - Docket No. 09-R312-01: The Commission adopted new Interconnection Standards for distributed renewable energy systems in April 2010. Utah Clean Energy, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, and Wal-Mart, among others, submitted comments on this important matter.  The new Standards reflect national best practices and resulted in Utah earning an 'A' for interconnection in the 2010 Freeing the Grid Report.

• Net Metering Victory - Docket No. 08-035-78 Utah Clean Energy worked with diverse stakeholders to dramatically improve Utah's Net Metering policies and rules. Learn more here.

• Designing Electric Rates to Support Energy Conservation and Efficiency - Docket No. 07-035-93 and Docket No. 08-035-38: These dockets explored how careful design of electric rates can support additional energy conservation and energy efficiency by sending the proper price signal to Utah customers. Utah Clean Energy participated in a rate design group and contributed to the production of a rate design report, which recorded and summarized key issues. Ultimately, the decision to adjust electric rates was done through a Stipulation in Rocky Mountain Power's 2008 general rate case (Docket 08-035-38). Learn more here.
   
• Improvements to Utah's Cost Test Evaluation Process for Efficiency and Renewable Energy - Docket No. 09-035-27: In this docket, the Commission determined that small-scale renewable resources,such as solar photovoltaic projects, should be evaluated on a similar basis as energy efficiency and load management until other economic tests are available. They ordered that the "Utility Cost Test" will be the threshold test, that all five cost-effectiveness tests will be performed, and that, should any of the tests fail, the Company and parties may present arguments, and the Commission will consider, whether the program is in the public interest for reasons other than economic efficiency. This docket has a tremendous influence on how energy efficiency and distributed renewable energy can and will be evaluated in the regulatory arena! Read the final order here.