Central Hudson today submitted a report to the PSC presenting the recommendations of the REV Demonstration Project Collaborative--formed as part of the current Central Hudson rate case--recommending six REV demonstration projects, including an Ulster County CCA proposed by CLP. The Collaborative included DPS Staff, Central Hudson, and other parties to the rate case--among them, SolarCity, NRG Energy, Inc., the Department of State’s Utility Intervention Unit, the Retail Energy Supply Association, Pace Energy and Climate Center, Multiple Intervenors (which represents large commercial and industrial electricity customers), Dutchess County, Direct Energy, and Consolidated Edison Solutions. CLP was the only community-based organization at the table (which was true of the rate case, in general).
Unfortunately, the parties to this process, after putting in months of work, were informed by Scott Wiener of NYS DPS that new rules for REV Demonstration Projects are specifically excluding third-party projects like CLP’s in favor of utility projects that result in “new revenue streams” for utilities. This was a great disappointment to the Parties to the Collaborative, and especially to CLP, which had committed significant volunteer time and resources to participating in this process. (It also raised concerns for us about whether the REV goals enshrined in the PSC’s earlier Order were getting sidelined by a larger goal of finding new ways for utilities to make profits.)
We do not, however, consider the process a total loss by any means. The Collaborative gave us the opportunity to educate other parties about the 2.0 model of CCA, and address issues and concerns that will smooth the pathway to CCA implementation in the future.