resa reporting in colorado: big data with many stakeholders

WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer

1

Big Data with Many

Stakeholders

WREF 2012 • May 17 • Denver, Colorado USALeslie Martel Baer, MS, MA, Strategist

RESA Reporting in Colorado

May 17, 2012

2

Many FunctionsRESA Reporting

May 17, 2012WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer

WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 3

Fundamental FunctionsShow the IOU is Collecting RESA

funds appropriately

Distributing them to qualifying projects

Purchasing/selling RECs appropriately

Meeting the RES (generation projects)

May 17, 2012


RESA & Ratepayers 2%—no more, no

less—is collected from retail customers

See your bill

RESA reports give aggregate picture

May 17, 2012

I Want Cheap Clean Energy


RESA & the IOUs Proof of RES

compliance Fiduciary

responsibility to investors

Express future intent through Compliance Plans

Would like reduced frequency

May 17, 2012


RESA & Administrators,Policy Makers PUC

Ensures RES is metResponsible to

ratepayers○ Advisory Board:

provides information and guidance to the

○ Trial Staff: determine if reporting is accurate and if an audit is warranted

State Policy Makers

May 17, 2012


RES & RE Business Looking for unused

capacity in programs How rapidly the

market responds to new programs and other changes

The extent of competition as measured by numbers of installations

May 17, 2012


RESA & NGOs Industry trade

associations: working for members

Non-governmental organizations: furthering the “cause” of technologies

Monitor implementation of programs and accomplishment of the RES

RE market Program market impacts

May 17, 2012

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Process Fundamentals



Xcel’s Monthly Process Pull data from

databases “Manually” sort

and filter Produce reports Process designed

for 34 MW of capacity

Now over 100 MW

May 17, 2012


The Bad

The Process Needs to Be Modernized and Transparent

Up to 3-month lag in reporting

Lack of Automation

Audits are voluntary; PUC can call for audits if deemed necessary

May 17, 2012


The Bad & The Good

The Process Needs to Be Modernized and Transparent

Some Effort is Underway for Modernization, Transparency

Up to 3-month lag in reporting

Lack of Automation

Audits are voluntary; PUC can call for audits if deemed necessary

All parties use same data set (Xcel, PUC, public)

Pursuing more automation with Community program

Xcel does conduct internal audits and it has caught errors this way

May 17, 2012

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Issues of Contention



A Budgetary Shortfall Solar*Rewards

extremely popular Up-front

incentives caused high outflows

Issue resolvedSwitch to

performance based incentives

Legal agreement for a loan from Xcel

Series1

Doing OkayWhoopsGetting Back on Track

May 17, 2012


RESA Rider Cap Set at 2% of retail

electricity Avoided costs

paid for under Electric Commodity Adjustment

Only incremental cost of RE is paid for by RESA

May 17, 2012


Incremental Cost Calculation High gas prices =

wind credit to RESA

Low gas prices = wind charge to RESA

Comparison supposed to include new gas plant build out

Usually only rampingMay 17, 2012

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Stakeholders:Getting It or Getting Dumped?



Big Data, Minimal Reporting Business, NGOs

may not be getting the details they want

Self-reported dataConsensus on trustLittle examination

outside Xcel More detail

coming More

accessibility?May 17, 2012

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Thank You!

Colorado Solar Energy Industries AssociationColorado Public Utilities CommissionXcel EnergyVote Solar


WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer

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Please Contact Mewith Questions

WREF 2012 • May 17 • Denver, Colorado USALeslie Martel Baer, MS, MA, [email protected]

RESA Reporting in Colorado

May 17, 2012