Working Group to Consider Changing Energy Efficiency Utility Model

The Energy Efficiency Utility ("EEU") has been in operation since March, 2000. The current EEU structure was the result of collaborative discussions that led to a comprehensive settlement among many parties, which the Board later approved. This structure has served Vermont well over the last seven years. The EEU's performance has exceeded expectations, and it has been recognized nationally as an innovative government program.

However, over that time the EEU program has matured, and the environment in which the EEU operates has changed. As a result, the Board has identified several aspects of the current EEU program structure that may require modification to address these circumstances.

The Board issued a memorandum on July 12, 2007, convening a Working Group to discuss possible changes to the electric EEU structure.  This page provides information regarding the Working Group's activities.

Schedule for Working Group Meetings and Filings

• August 3, 2007 -- Written comments to be filed on Draft Task Statement
• August 9, 2007, 9:30 a.m. - noon, Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• August 28, 2007 -- Comments to be filed on strengths and weaknesses of the current EEU program structure; parties should identify in their comments how important each of the strengths and weaknesses are to them
• August 31, 2007, 9:30 a.m. - noon, Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• September 12, 2007, Comments to be filed describing the EEU structure that participants recommend be implemented, or that they recommend the Working Group consider in this process.  Comments may also identify elements that participants do not want to be part of an EEU structure in Vermont.
• September 14, 2007, 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• September 25, 2007 -- Completed matrices of EEU functions and possible program structures to be filed.
• September 27, 2007, 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• October 10, 2007 -- New or revised completed matrices of EEU functions and possible program structures to be filed.
• October 12, 2007, 9:30 a.m. -- 12:00 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• October 22, 2007 -- VEIC to file revised matrix that reflects those areas upon which participants generally agree
• October 26, 2007, 9:30 a.m. -- 12:00 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• November 9, 2007, 9:30 a.m. -- 12:00 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• November 27, 2007 -- VEIC to file a more detailed proposal regarding possible cycles for setting budgets and goals and reviewing the EEU's performance; and CVPS to file memorandum or outline regarding whether the Board has the authority under existing statutes to make the structural changes being discussed by the Working Group or whether new legislation would be needed to implement such changes.
• November 29, 2007, 9:30 a.m. -- 12:00 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• December 13, 2007, 9:30 a.m. -- 12:00 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• January 7, 2008, 1:30 p.m. -- 4:30 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• January 11, 2008 -- Comments to be filed on Board staff's draft Interim Report to the Board on the EEU Structure Working Group
• January 14, 2008 -- DPS to circulate a document containing the elements of the Draft Recommendation for a Revised EEU Structure that it believes to be "structural"
• January 24, 2008 -- Comments to be filed on the structural elements identified in the DPS's January 14 filing, including parties' formal positions
• January 28, 2008, 1:30 p.m. -- 4:30 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• February 11, 2008, 1:30 p.m. -- 4:30 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• March 7, 2008, 9:30 a.m. -- 12:00 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• March 19, 2008 -- CVPS to circulate revisions to paragraph I.2.M (demand response) of the Draft Recommendation for a Revised EEU Structure; DPS to circulate revisions to paragraph I.2.N (applied research, development and demonstration) of the Draft Recommendation
• March 21, 2008, 1:30 p.m. -- 4:30 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• April 2, 2008 -- Comments to be filed on the list of "Eligible Services and Initiatives" included in Section VI.1.B.f of the Draft Recommendation
• April 4, 2008, 1:30 p.m. -- 4:30 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• April 4, 2008 -- Comments to be filed on what budget levels the EEU should use for the 20-year energy efficiency forecast that it must prepare pursuant to Paragraph 61 of the Memorandum of Understanding in Docket 7081.  Comments should also address whether the EEU should assume there will be geographic targeting when it performs the forecast, and if so, how the EEU should do that.
• April 16, 2008 -- VEIC to circulate proposed revisions to the compensation provisions of the Draft Recommendation (Part VI.1); DPS to circulate proposed revisions to the provisions of the Draft Recommendation regarding evaluation tasks and compensation; VEIC to circulate revisions to the language in the Draft Recommendation regarding energy education and compensation; VEIC to circulate a revised Draft Recommendation that incorporates language changes previously agreed to by the Working Group and any proposed new language, to the extent that the new language is provided to VEIC in sufficient time to enable it to be included; CVPS to circulate recommendations for cost figures to be included in the Combined Heat and Power Guidelines developed by the CHP subgroup.
• April 18, 2008 -- Reply comments to be filed on issues regarding the assumptions to be used by the EEU when preparing its 20-year energy efficiency forecast
• April 18, 2008 -- 1:30 p.m. -- 4:30 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• April 30, 2008 -- DPS to circulate proposed revisions to the summary of the DPS's roles and responsibilities in the Draft Recommendation (Part IV.3); CVPS to circulate proposed revisions to the summary of the roles and responsibilities of the distribution and transmission utilities in the Draft Recommendation (Part IV.4); VEIC to circulate proposed revisions to the summary of the EEU's and the Board's roles and responsibilities in the Draft Recommendation (Parts IV.1 and IV.2); VEIC to circulate proposed revisions to the termination provisions of the Draft Recommendation (Part VI); VEIC to circulate a proposed definition of "TRB" (Total Resource Benefits) to be included in the Draft Recommendation; IBM to circulate proposed language to be included in the Draft Recommendation regarding an annual certification by the DPS that an EEU is performing satisfactorily.
• May 2, 2008 -- 1:30 p.m. -- 4:30 p.m., Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• June 3, 2008 -- 9:30 a.m. -- 12 noon, Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, Chittenden Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier
• June 13, 2008 -- Sub-group of Working Group participants interested in distributed utility planning to circulate to the full Working Group proposed revisions to the language regarding this issue in the Draft Recommendation; all other proposed changes to be provided to VEIC
• June 16, 2008 -- VEIC to circulate revised version of Draft Recommendation
• June 20, 2008 -- Comments to be filed on revised Draft Recommendation and revised distributed utility planning language
• June 23, 2008 -- VEIC to circulate final version of Draft Recommendation

Board Orders and Memos

• July 12, 2007 -- Memo creating Working Group
  • Draft Task Statement
  • Descriptions of Some Structural Models
• August 14, 2007 -- Memo re VEIC's participation in Working Group
• August 15, 2007 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
  • Revised Task Statement
  • Themes from Written Comments and August 9, 2007, Workshop
• August 30, 2007 -- Discussion document regarding utility franchises in Vermont (prepared by Board staff)
• September 5, 2007 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• September 17, 2007 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• September 23, 2007 -- Matrix of Functions and Services to be completed by participants
• October 3, 2007 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• October 15, 2007 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• October 30, 2007 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• November 13, 2007 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• December 4, 2007 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• December 13, 2007 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• January 4, 2008 -- Draft Interim Report to the Public Service Board on the EEU Structure Working Group, and Appendices
• January 8, 2008 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• January 17, 2008 -- Interim Report to the Public Service Board on the EEU Structure Working Group, and Appendices (as provided to the Board)
• February 4, 2008 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• February 14, 2008 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• March 10, 2008 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• March 25, 2008 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• April 10, 2008 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• April 24, 2008 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• May 16, 2008 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group
• June 11, 2008 -- Memo re Next Steps for Working Group

Background Information and Participants' Filings

Working Group Service List

Instructions for Filing Comments -- Participants should file one paper copy of their comments with the Clerk of the Board and e-mail their comments to the Working Group Service List.