20220722IPC to Staff 14-15.pdf

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LISA D. NORDSTROM
Lead Counsel
[e-mail]
July 22,2022
Jan Noriyuki, Secretary
ldaho Public Utilities Commission
11331 W. Chinden Boulevard
Building 8, Suite 201-A
Boise, ldaho 83714
Re Case No. IPC-E-22-08
ln the Matter of the Application of ldaho Power Company for a Determination
of 2021Demand-Side Management Expenses as Prudently lncurred
Dear Ms. Noriyuki
Attached for electronic filing is ldaho Power Company's Response to the Third
Production Request of the Commission Staff to ldaho Power Company in the above-
entitled matter.
The confidentialattachments will be provided to the parties who sign the Protective
Agreement in this matter.
lf you have any questions about the attached documents, please do not hesitate
to contact me.
Very truly yours,
Lisa D. Nordstrom
InDAOORP oomp.ny
P.O. Box 70 (83707)
lzll W. H.hoSt
Boir., lD E3702
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Enclosures
LISA D. NORDSTROM (lSB No. 5733)
ldaho Power Company
1221 West ldaho Street (83702)
P.O. Box 70
Boise, ldaho 83707
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
lnordstrom@idahooower. com
Attorney for ldaho Power Company
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION
OF IDAHO POWER COMPANY FOR A
DETERMINATION OF 2021 DEMAND-SIDE
MANAGEMENT EXPENSES AS
PRUDENTLY INCURRED.
CASE NO. IPC-E-22-08
IDAHO POWER COMPANY'S
RESPONSE TO THE THIRD
PRODUCTION REQUEST OF
THE COMMISSION STAFF TO
IDAHO POWER COMPANY
COMES NOW, ldaho Power Company ("ldaho Powe/'or "Company"), and in
response to the Third Production Request of the Commission Staff dated June 16,
2022, herewith submits the following information:
IDAHO POWER COMPANY'S RESPONSE TO THE THIRD PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF TO IDAHO POWER COMPANY - 1
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REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 14: Does the Company or the third-party
contractor of the Home Energy Audits program track the implementation of
recommendations generated by the Home Energy Audit reports? lf not, why not?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 14: ldaho Power doesn't
track the implementation of recommendations generated by the Home Energy Audit
program. The Home Energy Audit program was set up to educate customers on how
their home uses energy and is intended to encourage their participation in other ldaho
Power energy efficiency programs. As an educational and marketing program, the
traditional cost-effectiveness tests have not been applied to the program, so there has
not been a need to quantiff or estimate what measures customers have implemented. lf
a participant were to implement a recommendation covered under another program,
such as the Heating and Cooling Efficiency Program, the implementation and
subsequent savings would be tracked through that program.
The response to this Request is sponsored by Quentin Nesbitt, Customer
Research an Analysis Leader, ldaho Power Company.
IDAHO POWER COMPANY'S RESPONSE TO THE THIRD PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF TO IDAHO POWER COMPANY - 2
REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 15: The Company's Demand-Side
Management Annual Report describes how Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
('NEEA") removed support of the region's Residential New Construction program due to
some markets being transformed and that the Company signed a contract with
Washington State University ("WSU') to provide similar services that NEEA provided for
the program. Report at 81. Please answer the following questions.
a. Please describe the process and criteria used to select WSU to conduct the
roles of file and field quality assurance, new rater onboarding/training, and
current rater problems/issues support previously provided by NEEA.
b. Please explain if other candidates/third-party contractors were evaluated for
these roles previously supported by NEEA. !f not, why not?
c. Please provide a copy of the contract signed with WSU.
d. What regions in the Northwest have been transformed?
e. What is the expected annual cost of the services provided by WSU?
f. Please describe if, when, and how the Company will veriff that the processes
assumed by WSU for the roles of file and field quality assurance, new rater
onboarding/training, and current rater problems/issues support for the
Residential Construction Program function as intended.
g. Please describe any difference or overlap between the services WSU will
provide for the program compared to what an lmpact and Process Evaluation
will provide.
IDAHO POWER COMPANY'S RESPONSE TO THE THIRD PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF TO IDAHO POWER COMPANY - 3
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 15:
a. ldaho Power chose to contract with WSU for the roles of file and field quality
assurance, new rater onboarding/training, and current rater problems/issues
support previously provided by NEEA as their expertise aligned with the
support needed for the program, and they were recommended by NEEA.
Contracting with WSU has resulted in an easy transition from the past NEEA
support, as NEEA worked with WSU to ensure they understood the program
fundamentals.
b. ldaho Power did not evaluate other candidates and was not aware of other
organizations that offered these services. The third-party NEEA had been
using discontinued offering the services.
c. Please see the confidentialattachments provided to this response.
d. For clarification regarding market transformation in Residential New
Construction, NEEA's work was specifically around the infrastructure and
support and not the transformation of building codes. ln the beginning, NEEA
helped build the market of raters and provided technical support and
trainings. However, those trainings and support are now provided nationally
through organizations such as ENERGY STAR, RESNET Home Energy
Rating Systems, and National Green Building Standards. Once NEEA saw
that national support existed for the raters, quality assurance, and certification
markets, they determined it was time to turn over program support to the
utilities.
IDAHO PO\A/ER COMPANY'S RESPONSE TO THE TH]RD PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF TO IDAHO POWER COMPANY -4
e. The expected annual cost of services from WSU is dependent upon the total
number of homes certified. Typically, about 150 homes are certified a year,
and the cost is approximately $25,000.
f. The ldaho Power Program Specialist has multiple regularly scheduled
meetings with WSU every month. During the meetings, topics such as the
home pipeline report, energy rater items, and overallgeneralstatus updates
are discussed. ln addition, the Company's Program Specialist checks the
program database weekly to ensure that WSU is conducting QA as
contractually required and to ensure that homes are consistently moving
through the data entry and QA process. Once a home has been certified by
the energy rater and approved by WSU, the Program Specialist reviews the
database report for accuracy before processing any payments.
g. WSU's role is program support and operation not program evaluation. WSU
provides project information and field quality assurance, new rater
onboarding/training, and current rater problems/issues support. A process
evaluation would evaluate the program to ensure that it is running correctly
and according to industry best practices. The process evaluation would
review items such as quality assurance practices, marketing, program flow,
and program logic. An impact evaluation confirms that energy savings are
being calculated and applied correctly.
The response to this Request is sponsored by Quentin Nesbitt, Customer
Research and Analysis Leader, Idaho Power Company.
IDAHO PO\A/ER COMPANY'S RESPONSE TO THE THIRD PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF TO IDAHO POWER COMPANY - 5
Respectfully submitted this 22nd day of July 2022.
&" fr.Ynlut**,
LISA D. NORDSTROM
Attomey for ldaho Power Company
IDAHO POVI'ER COMPAT{Y'S RESPONSE TO THE THIRD PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF TO IDAHO POWER COMPANY -6
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
! HEREBY CERTIFY that on the 22nd day of July 2022,1 served a true and correct
copy of ldaho Power Company's Response to the Third Production Request of the
Commission Staff to ldaho Power Company upon the following named parties by the
method indicated below, and addressed to the following:
Commission Staff
Riley Newton
Deputy Attorney General
ldaho Public Utilities Commission
11331 W. Chinden Blvd., Bldg No.8,
Suite 201-A (83714)
PO Box 83720
Boise, lD 83720-0074
City of Boise
Ed Jewell
Boise City Attorney's Office
150 N. Capitol Blvd.
P.O. Box 500
Boise, ldaho 83701-0500
Wil Gehl
Energy Program Manager
Boise City Dept. of Public Works
150 N. Capitol Blvd.
P.O. Box 500
Boise, ldaho 83701-0500
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Stacy Gust, Regulatory Administrative
Assistant
IDAHO PO\A'ER COMPANY'S RESPONSE TO THE THIRD PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF TO IDAHO POWER COMPANY - 7
BEFORE THE
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMN,IISSION
GASE NO. IPC-E-22-08
IDAHO POWER COMPANY
CONFIDENTIAL
REQUEST NO. 15
ATTAGHMENT NO. 1
BEFORE THE
IDAHO PUBLIG UTILITIES COMMISSION
cAsE NO. IPC-E-22-08
IDAHO POWER COMPANY
CONFIDENTIAL
REQUEST NO. 15
ATTACHMENT NO.2