Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a fixed information technology (IT) system designed to: automate utility billing, better optimize utility resources, and empower consumers with greater information on their patterns of use. DRA has actively encouraged AMI, pressing for system designs which serve ratepayers at the least possible cost.
The California Solar Initiative (CSI) is the cornerstone of California's effort to promote solar energy, a clean and renewable alternative source of electricity. DRA supports CSI by promoting solar energy at the lowest possible cost to ratepayers.
Catastrophic Events Memorandum Account (CEMA) was approved in 1991. The purpose of this account is to allow utilities to recover the incremental costs incurred to repair, restore or replace facilities damaged during a disaster declared by the appropriate federal or state authorities.
In 2006, Governor Schwarzeneggar signed into law AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act, which designates the California Air Resource Board (CARB) to adopt regulations to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions levels to 1990 levels by 2020. The Public Utilities Commission and the Energy Commission have established a joint proceeding to examine greenhouse gas (GHG) policy issues related to the electricity sector. DRA supports the need to combat climate change and is an active participant in the Joint Commissions’ GHG proceeding. DRA is additionally engaged in the stakeholder process with CARB and the Western Climate Initiative, which is concurrently designing a regional cap-and-trade program to reduce GHG emissions. DRA’s recommendations are driven by the principle that GHG reductions should be achieved at the lowest cost and least risk to ratepayers.
Demand Response is set of actions taken to reduce electric loads during times of emergencies or grid congestion. Demand Response allows utilities to balance supply and demand such that demand does not exceed supply and alleviate rising electric supply costs. DRA is a consistent and proactive voice for residential and small commercial ratepayers in all Demand Response proceedings before the Commission to ensure DR programs are cost effective.
Direct Access is a retail service option whereby eligible customers purchase electricity from an independent supplier rather than from an investor owned utility. DRA is actively participating in the Direct Access proceeding and working with other parties to determine what are the potential risks and benefits to ratepayers of reopening Direct Access.
DRA is an active participant in the Commission's complex, multi-phased Energy Efficiency proceeding. DRA's goal is to advocate for accountability of utility managed Energy Efficiency programs as well as for policy action that best promotes ratepayers interests to realized cost-effective energy savings. Through their bills, ratepayers' invest billions of dollars in the development, implementation, and evaluation of energy efficiency programs in regulated utility service territories across California. Energy Efficiency is ranked first in the procurement loading order with the objective of displacing the building of new power plants. Additionally, Energy Efficiency is currently the quickest, cheapest method of mitigating Greenhouse Gas emissions.
DRA is an active participant in the CPUC’s annual Energy Resource Recovery Account (ERRA) proceedings to ensure that the three investor-owned electric utilities (PG&E, SCE and SDG&E) generate and procure energy resources on a least-cost basis and to prudently administer contracts, according to upfront operational standards.
General Rate Case (GRC) is a regulatory process used to develop reasonable costs for utility services. A utility GRC is filed every 3 years with variances of 4-6 year cycles in some cases. Electric utility GRC costs include distribution and utility owned generation costs. Gas utility GRC costs include distribution, transmission, and storage costs.
DRA is actively participating the Long-Term Procurement Plans (LTPP) proceeding. To ensure a reliable and cost-effective electricity supply in California, every two years the Commission review the IOUs’ LTPPs for the next 10 years and based on a series of Commission’s and state’s policy goals it makes a need determination. IOUs spent billions of dollars on annual basis on energy procurement and by participating in this proceeding DRA makes sure that IOUs procure what they need to provide a safe and reliable service at the lowest cost possible.
DRA actively represents ratepayers in a variety of natural gas proceedings pertaining to cost allocation, natural gas infrastructure, gas procurement incentive mechanisms, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and hedging natural gas costs.
DRA represents ratepayers in various aspects of energy renewables including the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) as well as in Emerging Renewables. California's RPS is the most aggressive RPS program in the U.S., requiring investor-owned utilities (IOUs), energy service providers (ESPs) and community choice aggregators (CCAs) to procure an additional 1% of retail sales per year from eligible renewable sources until 20% is reached, no later than 2010. With limited access to renewable power, DRA supports cost-effective utility investment in emerging technologies that increase the State’s access to renewable energy generation and reduces the overall cost of renewable energy through economies of scale and lowers the cost of electricity.
DRA is an active participant in the CPUC’s Resource Adequacy (RA) proceedings (R.05-12-013, and its successor R08-01-025). These proceedings are designed to ensure the availability of reliable, cost-effective electricity service in California through resource adequacy (RA) procurement obligations applicable to load serving entities (LSEs) as defined in Pub. Util. Code § 380(j).
DRA’s interest in Transmission proceedings at the CPUC is to determine if electrical corporations satisfy the requirements to demonstrate that public convenience and necessity requires such transmission construction. This demonstration is made through a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) application process at the CPUC. In CPCN proceedings for proposed major transmission lines, DRA traditionally focuses on: the determination of “need,” cost-effectiveness, long-term planning, reliability requirements, and compliance with state policy and Commission directives. DRA’s objective is to ensure that transmission projects are only approved by the Commission after thorough examination of their costs, benefits, and other relevant attributes and only after all non-transmission alternatives (such as energy efficiency, demand response, and generation projects) have been explored.