Energy Resource Policy and Planning
- Agricultural Rate Setting Testimony
Agricultural Energy Consumers Association (1992-present)
Testified about agricultural economic issues related to energy use, linkage to California water management policies, and utility rates in numerous proceedings at the California Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission, and California State Legislature. Analyzed various aspects of electric industry restructuring; proposed innovative pricing options; examined marginal cost principles and applications, and testified in a large number of energy related hearings. Developed innovative rate allocation methodology that incorporated regional marginal costs and value of service planning based on the Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Area Cost Study.
Community Solar Gardens Tariff Application
Sierra Club (2014)
Testified in PG&E and SCE Green Tariff application cases at the CPUC on program design parameters needed to encourage participation in distributed generation solar and renewables by tenants and small businesses.
Southern California Edison v. State of Nevada Department of Taxation
Nevada Attorney General’s Office (2013-present)
Testifying on whether the sales tax imposed on coal delivered to SCE’s Mohave Generating Station created a competitive disadvantage for SCE in the Western power market during the 1998-2000 period.
Time of Use Rates in California Residential Rates Rulemaking
Environmental Defense Fund (2012-present)
Modeled how increased penetration of TOU rates in the residential sector for all three investor-owned utilities would reduce peak and energy demand, reduce residential bills, and reduce utility costs. Changes in revenues and costs were developed from the utilities’ most recent general rate case filings.
Aggregating Agricultural Accounts to Facilitate Load and Water Use Management
Agricultural Energy Consumers Association (2012-present)
Analyzed load and billing data from nine farms with 368 accounts to assess the potential load reductions in the PG&E service area if agricultural customers were given the one line tools and the rate incentives to manage all of their individual loads as aggregated sets of loads. Interviewed participants twice about current operations and feasible changes in irrigation management.
Alternative Generation Technology Assessment
California Energy Commission (2001-2013)
Developed and maintained the Cost of Generation Model, spreadsheet-based tool used by the CEC to produce generation cost estimates for the Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR). The model uses capital, financing, and operational data to calculate levelized costs of generation for over twenty alternative generating technologies plus conventional gas-fired plants. The analysis included collecting data from technology experts, CEC energy data filings, and a comprehensive survey of new generation facilities. Updated the cost models to conform with the CPUC Market Price Referents methodology.
Time of Use Rates in Consolidated Edison Rate Case
Environmental Defense Fund (2013)
Modeled how increased penetration of TOU rates in the residential sector for Consolidated Edison serving the New York City metropolitan area would reduce peak and energy demand, reduce residential bills, and reduce utility costs.
Solar Power Purchase Agreement
Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (2012-2013)
Assisted ASYV in developing a power purchase agreement with the Government of Rwanda, and securing equity financing for the project.
San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Friends of the Earth (2013)
Develop testimony submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission based on analyses of the cost-effectiveness of continuing operation of the nuclear facility.
San Francisco Community Power
City and County of San Francisco (2001-2012)
Launched, directed, and developed San Francisco Community Power. The organization’s objectives included assisting small businesses and low income residences to better manage their energy use, thereby generating environmental and economic benefits; training community residents to install and distribute energy-saving measures; providing technical assistance on energy-related issues to community groups and policy makers; and producing high-quality news and information about environmental issues to San Francisco residents. Through the project two power plants in San Francisco were closed; a successful small business demand-response aggregation pool was created; and several demonstration projects led to the adoption of new state and local energy policies.
Analytic Support for Long Term Procurement Plan OIR
California Public Utilities Commission Energy Division (2011-2012)
Reviewed California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and three utilities’ resource acquisition plan out to 2020. The review included inspection of the CAISO’s renewable integration and PLEXOS system modeling, and assessment of the utilities’ projected financial cost models.
Review of Salkhit Wind Project Economic Benefits in Mongolia
Millennium Challenge Corporation and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2011-2012)
Reviewed the economic modeling conducted by the sponsors of a proposed wind project at Ulan Bator, Mongolia prior to the MCC providing a grant. Benefits assessed include reduce GHG and local air pollution emissions and improved utility reliability.
Electricity Supply Reliability Assessment Model
California Energy Commission (2010-2011)
Developed a framework to update CEC’s resource adequacy assessment tool to extend analysis from the coming summer out to 2020, and to incorporate uncertainty about generating resource and load management performance, and load forecasts. Built the model framework in Analytica.
Analysis of Rocky Mountain Power Pilot Solar Incentives Program
Utah Clean Energy (2010)
Analyzed ratepayer and utility impacts analysis conducted by RMP to assess whether the three-year pilot program should be extended.
Portfolio Analysis Tool
California Energy Commission (2009-2010)
Developed spreadsheet-based analytic tool to compile load and generation data from a staffed-maintained Access database and estimate the remaining net-short generation after loading baseload conventional, must-run renewable, and hydropower resources. The tool was used to estimate to what extent renewable imports may force curtailments or other system-wide operational changes over the forecast period.
Electricity System Simulation Modeling Methodology Evaluation
California Energy Commission (2009-2010)
Constructed and applied an evaluation structure equivalent to the California’s software purchasing Feasibility Study Report for assessing acquisition of a new production cost simulation model. Candidate models were initially screened for relevance and usefulness in the WECC and California setting. The evaluation included a set of comparative runs among candidate models—Market Analytics, PROMOD and PLEXOS--using the CAISO 33% RPS Renewables Integration study data set, and extensive interviews with model vendors.
Off-Road and Marine Fuel Use Forecasting Methods
California Energy Commission (2008-2010)
Reviewed existing data and forecasting methods for estimating fuel use and emissions for the off-road transportation sector, including construction, agriculture, ports, petroleum and industrial, and marine sector developed by state and federal agencies, including the California Air Resources Board, Board of Equalization and Energy Information Administration. Concluded that current methods are inadequate for CEC’s purposes and recommended developing new methodologies using known data sources.
Evaluation of Greenhouse Gas Impacts from Proposed Hydropower Project Regulation
State Water Resources Control Board (2009-2010)
Estimated the change in statewide GHG emissions from each of six proposed regulatory alternatives from the State Water Resources Control Board for Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Upper North Fork Feather River (UNFFR) project (FERC No. 2105) to comply with Clean Water Act 401 permit conditions. The analysis required simulating the UNFFR powerhouses on a hourly basis from daily flow data, estimating changes in operations and measuring the resulting change in incremental hourly GHG emissions for 2020 from California Energy Commission electricity system simulations.
PG&E/NID/PCWA Hydropower Projects Relicensing Economic Analysis
Foothills Water Network (2009)
Conducted economic analysis for relicensing of PG&E’s Drum-Spaulding, Nevada Irrigation District and Placer County Water Agency FERC projects on the American, Bear and Yuba Rivers for coalition of environmental group, using the Stockholm Environmental Institute's Water-Energy Analysis Program (WEAP) hydropower model.
Reliability and Environmental Regulatory Tradeoffs in the LA Basin
California Energy Commission (2009)
Developed analytic tool in Analytica to assess local capacity requirements (LCR) in the CAISO and LADWP control areas for the 2009-2015 period, and how air and water quality regulations impact the ability to meet the LCR. The analysis was used to evaluate policy options for addressing new regulations on once-through-cooling at aging power plants and restriction on new air permits from the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Nevada Collaborative Group Renewables and Transmission Policy
Energy Foundation (2008)
Develop policy alternatives for creating incentives to finance new renewable resources and transmission access in Nevada.
Generation Facility Uncertainties and the Need for a Flexible Infrastructure
Nevada, Energy Foundation (2007-2008)
Assessed potential availability and costs for alternative resources to defer or replace proposed coal plants in Nevada and to better use a proposed transmission link. Co-authored Laying a Foundation for Nevada’s Electricity Future. A number of different generation cost studies were reviewed and presented to show why and how cost estimates vary between different regulatory, planning and utility entities in the West.
Analytic Support for Klamath Project FERC Relicensing Case
California Energy Commission (2005-2007)
Prepared economic analysis comparing potential costs and benefits of proposed relicensing conditions and decommissioning scenarios for a consortium of government agencies. This analysis presented scenarios that bounded ranges of potential mitigation and decommissioning costs and reflected various power price forecasts from government agencies and utilities. TThe report’s findings were a key element leading to the final settlement agreeing to eventual decommissioning of PacifiCorp’s facilities.
US v. Reliant Resources CR04-125
US Attorney (2005-2007)
Testified in a wire fraud case as to the air quality regulatory constraints that Reliant may have faced when scheduling and operating its power generation facilities June 20 to June 23, 2000. That testimony addressed whether Reliant traders improperly used environmental regulations as a cover for illegal market manipulation behavior.
Statewide Pricing Pilot, Track B Analysis
California Public Utilities Commission (2003-2005)
Developed experimental program to examine whether providing educational “treatments” communicated through a community-based organization in an environmentally-impacted neighborhood enhanced responses to critical peak pricing among residential energy users. The project included survey and econometric research.
Agricultural Engine Conversion Program
Agricultural Energy Consumers Association (2005)
Testified before the California Public Utilities Commission on a proposed program to convert agricultural diesel engines to electricity. The analysis identified the rate reductions needed to induce such conversions while still covering the utilities’ – Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Southern California Edison Company – incremental costs.
Distributed Energy Resources Test Bed Project
California Energy Commission (2004)
Examined DER’s impact on two distribution feeder lines to determine the benefits and costs from utility, ratepayer, and societal perspectives. Project included developing and implementing energy efficiency and demand-response programs and technologies targeted at small and medium commercial energy users.
Environmental Performance Report-Potential Impacts of Global Climate Change on California’s Hydropower System
California Energy Commission (2005)
Assessed a potential range of impacts on the operations of California’s hydropower system from different hydrological scenarios related to GCC projections. The interrelated nature of the hydropower, water supply and flood control systems was highlighted. Results presented in the CEC’s 2005 Integrated Energy Policy Report.
Environmental Performance Report Hydropower Relicensing Cost Evaluation
California Energy Commission (2003)
Developed estimates of lost value and incurred costs for California hydropower facilities subject to relicensing. Results presented in Appendix D of the CEC’s 2003 Integrated Energy Policy Report.
California Electricity Anti-trust Actions
California Office of the Attorney General (2002-2004)
Consulted on developing anti-trust cases and actions against merchant power generators as a result of the California 2000-2001 energy crisis.
FERC California Refund Case Testimony
California Electricity Oversight Board (2001-2003)
Testified before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on electricity price refund issues related to air emission and environmental permit costs, and effects on powerplant operations from environmental regulations. Included analysis of the RECLAIM market performance during the crisis. EL-00-95 et al. Prepared background papers on issues affecting California’s electricity prices.
PG&E Hydro Divestiture EIR
California Public Utilities Commission (2000)
Evaluated the environ-mental impacts from divesting hydropower facilities and related lands by Pacific Gas and Electric Company. In particular, analyzed how divestiture may affect the path of California’s electricity industry with restructuring. The analysis focused on creating different scenarios that reflected alternative ownership incentives for different entities such as merchant generators or public water utilities.
Agricultural Electricity Rates Report
California Energy Commission (2001)
Studied how electricity rates in California impact agricultural energy costs given restructuring. This included a comparison with rates in neighboring states. Developed a broad range of policy proposals to improve agricultural energy management practices and lower costs.
California Energy Crisis Assessment
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (2001)
Prepared assessment of California’s energy situation for summer of 2001.
Energy Crisis Solutions
California Energy Commission (2001)
Developed policy proposals to address the energy crisis in the summer of 2001 for the draft executive summary of the CEC’s AB970 Report.
PG&E Hydro Divestiture EIR
California Public Utilities Commission (2000)
Evaluated the environmental impacts from divesting hydropower facilities and related lands by Pacific Gas and Electric Company. In particular, analyzed how divestiture may affect the path of CaliforniaÕs electricity industry with restructuring.
Direct Access Service Costs
Golden State Power Cooperative (2000)
Presented testimony in the Revenue Cycle Services / Direct Access Service Fee proceedings on establishing credits and charges between the investor-owned utilities and energy service providers.
