Rate Design Project Board Workshops

From your discussion during the Workshop 2 to achieve fairness, sustainability along with promoting electrification, EVs and DER it is obvious that the current rate structures OPPD has will need to be changed in multiple ways to reach as many of those goals. Since the rate parameter has contrary impacts on some of the goals a simple rate by itself cannot be used. It is suggested that the board consider the follow rate and program changes to achieve the goals of the rate design project:

(1) Rate 110 should have a higher rate both for summer and non-summer than Rate 115 to incentivize electrification.

(2) Rate 110 and 115 should be simpler and the declining cost blocks eliminated with a set single rate for KWH usage for each customer rate. This will encourage DER and efficiency.

(3) Rate 110 and 115 should have most of their fixed fees be reduced and converted into a power delivery rider like fuel adjustment Rate 461. This will encourage DER and efficiency. In addition, it would help make billing for low usage which tend to be poor and elderly to be reduced.

(4) Rate 483 for net metering needs to be revised to be the new Rate 110 and 115 cost per KWH for summer and non-summer minus the rider for the fixed rates note above in item 3 above. This would make the DER rates tied to the other rates and be adjusted as they are. In addition, Rate 483 should have an adjustment for the type of DER like Rate 355 has for cogeneration since solar by definition is daytime power and more valuable than wind which is anytime.

(5) To help encourage 3rd parties, especially non-profits and schools, to install and provide additional community solar OPPD should provide a rate as a overhead rider to cover OPPD administrative support, tracking and billing cost for 3rd party community solar to provide power to other customers over OPPD’s system.

(6) Electric vehicles should have a monthly credit per vehicle for charging mostly (at least 80%) between 10 pm – 6 am during the summer and eventually when winter peak becomes an issue between 6pm – 12pm during the winter (Dec – Feb).

(7) Electric vehicles should have a monthly credit (like the AC demand program) for OPPD to call on the vehicle to discharge a certain number of times during peak power to the grid when this technology becomes available.

(8) For air conditioners and heat pumps that have thermal storage (i.e. Ice Bear) added to allow them to not run for extended periods (hours) during peak every day instead of cycling every 15 minutes under the existing A/C program some days there should be a greater credit per month due to the improved peak reduction.

(9) For customers that have some sort of backup power (battery or NG generator like Generac) OPPD should have a monthly program credit like the A/C program demand reduction to allow customers to be disconnected and put on their backup power during peak demand.

(10) OPPD should consider offering a program to provide a rebate structure on customer solar such as $500/kw for south to west oriented arrays and $400/kw for other orientations. They would have to be acceptable candidates no shading and no required OPPD system rebuild.

(11) OPPD should develop a program to provide the service for a fee to evaluate the load demand of customers and either create a behind the meter department to install demand control equipment or hire a 3rd party to install it.

For our business, Clearway Energy
We have an agreement for "curtailment" in peak demand days, or times in the summer

This is a great program for us, and we hope you continue to offer this in the new rate structure.

Craig Miller

For residential customers , is there a "level pay plan" available. In Fremont, the "level pay plan" projects your yearly electrical/utility usage, and expects a similar amount in the next year. This level payment for that plan, then splits the expected costs of that plan, over 12 months. In that way you pay a standard payment for that next year, Avoiding big swings up and down in the utility bill. So it's nice to budget and you know what to pay each month

Then at the end of the year, you pay , or get a credit on your bill, if you went over, or under on the projected usage.

this process repeats each year.

This is a nice payment plan for folks that want to avoid high summer cooling bills, for example>

If you do not offer this, I recommend you consider it, as it's a nice option for single family homeowners, etc.

Craig Miller