CalChoice Associate Members Meet Virtually for February Operational Meeting

CalChoice Associate Members on Tuesday, February 1 met virtually for an all-member meeting and received an operations overview from CalChoice staff and consultant Pacific Energy Advisors. The meeting is the most recent in CalChoice’s ongoing series of monthly operational meetings.

“Our monthly operational meetings are an opportunity for associate members to learn about the technical processes going on behind the scenes of their programs and receive important updates relevant to their program operations,” said CalChoice Executive Director Jason Caudle. “We encourage members to reach out to us if there are specific topics they would like for us to cover during these meetings.”

Pacific Energy Advisors (PEA) Managing Director Brian Goldstein began the meeting with an update on the energy market. Generally, forward power prices remain high. To assist in alleviating these high prices, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) increased the natural gas storage capacity at Aliso Canyon by 20% in November 2021. Goldstein also noted that reservoir levels, which impact hydropower availability, are improving but mostly remain well below average levels in California.

Goldstein also provided an update on mid-term reliability (MTR) procurement and compliance, noting that compliance filings showing progress towards MTR requirements will be due to the CPUC starting February 1, 2023. CalChoice reviewed all associate member’s existing congrats and determined that the contract with Duran Mesa will count towards each member’s 2023 MTR requirements. 

CalChoice Energy Programs Manager Kathy Wells concluded the meeting with an update regarding this year’s joint rate comparison (JRC) mailers and the latest developments in relevant energy programs. In January, CalChoice met with SCE to begin the annual JRC notification process for 2022; customers must receive the JRC by July 1, 2022. Kathy noted TerraVerde is finalizing proformas for the Battery Storage Program and held follow up meetings with members in February. 

If you have a request for a topic to cover at a future meeting, please reach out to Barbara Boswell (Barbara@CalChoice.org), Cathy DeFalco (Cathy@CalChoice.org), Kathy Wells (Kathy@CalChoice.org) or Antonia Castro-Graham (Antonia@CalChoice.org).