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Examiner’s Memo Outlines Next Steps Following First Working Group Meeting
Re: Distribution List in Investigation by the Department of Public Utilities on its own Motion into Establishing Guidelines for Municipal Aggregation Proceedings.
From the Hearing Examiner’s Memo:
On August 15, 2023, the Department of Public Utilities (“Department”) issued an Order opening an investigation into establishing guidelines for municipal aggregation proceedings, D.P.U. 23-67. In response to stakeholder comments, the Department convened a technical session on December 20, 2023. At the conclusion of that technical session, the Department and stakeholders agreed to the following: (1) the Municipalities via the consultants would draft a new set of guidelines based on the technical session discussion (“Proposed Guidelines”) and circulate that draft to the distribution list by January 12, 2024; and (2) the Department would convene a working group to, at the outset, review the Proposed Guidelines and any other issues pertinent at the time (“Working Group”). On January 19, 2024, the Department issued a hearing officer memorandum with an agenda for the inaugural Working Group meeting, scheduled for January 24, 2024, along with a template containing an example annual report template (“Example Annual Report Template”). At the conclusion of the Working Group meeting the Department agreed to notify stakeholders of next steps. This memorandum outlines those next steps.
During the initial meeting of the Working Group, Department staff discussed with stakeholders: (1) potential revisions to the Proposed Guidelines; and (2) the Example Annual Report Template.
Based on this discussion, Department staff will take the following steps to assist the Working Group in the development of final Guidelines:
- Distribute a revised version of the Proposed Guidelines to stakeholders that will include the revisions discussed during the meeting;
- Convene calls with:
- the consultants to discuss their ability and willingness to work jointly to develop a new version of the Proposed Guidelines, working off of Department staff’s revised version;
- the Department of Energy Resources (“DOER”) staff to discuss; (1) how the Department may incorporate best/preferred practices for renewable energy products into final Guidelines, and (2) DOER’s proposed revisions to the Example Annual Report Template; and
- the electric distribution companies (“EDCs”) to discuss the mechanics of how each EDC “onboards” municipal aggregation suppliers;
- Convene a “sub-working group” to develop uniform templates for the municipal aggregation plan elements. Participation in this group will be open to all interested stakeholders. Department staff will notify stakeholders of the result of these discussions.
Hearing Officer Memorandum RE: Next Steps Following First Working Group Meeting (01/26/2024)
23-67HOMemoTechSessionNextSteps.pdf (12/22/2023)
Redline Guidelines. Redline Guidelines (11/13/2024)
D.P.U. 23-67. (08/15/2023)
