Full Title: Inclusive Utility Investment Guide for Distributed Energy Resources
Author(s): Matt Flaherty, Kai Palmer-Dunning, Rusty Haynes, and Sarah LeBarron
Publisher(s): Smart Electric Power Alliance
Publication Date: March 28, 2025
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Inclusive utility investment is a financial solution for distributed clean energy upgrades – including DERs and energy efficiency – via a tariff for site-specific utility investment and cost recovery, approved by the utility’s regulatory authority and designed to ensure net annual cost savings for participants. SEPA partnered with Clean Energy Works to raise awareness of the value and use cases of inclusive utility investment programs, such as Pay As You Save® (PAYS®). These programs can provide financial benefits to utilities, utility customers, and building owners. Inclusive Utility Investment Guide for Distributed Energy Resources – developed with extensive contributions from industry stakeholders – is a key outcome of this two-year partnership and initiative.
This guide provides an overview of inclusive utility investment for utility-driven deployment of customer-sited energy efficiency, electric appliances, and DERs, including on-site energy generation and storage. More specifically, it helps those interested in inclusive utility investment assess program feasibility (e.g., project economics, utility value, cost-recovery, capital sourcing); design considerations (e.g., program goals, stakeholder engagement, eligible measures, marketing, and outreach); consumer protections; regulatory approvals; and evaluation. Case studies of programs developed by four U.S. utilities are included.