Offered in "TED-Talk" format, this presentation explores the uses of Renewable Energy Standard Adjustment (RESA) data collected and analyzed by Xcel Energy, under the requirements of the Colorado Renewable Portfolio Standard. This talk also looks at whether or not third-party auditing should be required of these data.

1. WREF 2012 • May 17 • Denver, Colorado USA
Leslie Martel Baer, MS, MA, Strategist
RESA Reporting in Colorado
1May 17, 2012 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer

2. RESA Reporting
2May 17, 2012 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer

3. Fundamental Functions
Show the IOU is
 Collecting RESA
funds appropriately
 Distributing them to
qualifying projects
 Purchasing/selling
RECs appropriately
 Meeting the RES
(generation projects)
May 17, 2012 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 3

4. RESA & Ratepayers
 2%—no more, no
less—is collected
from retail customers
 See your bill
 RESA reports give
aggregate picture
May 17, 2012 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 4
I Want Cheap
Clean Energy

5. RESA & the IOUs
 Proof of RES
compliance
 Fiduciary
responsibility to
investors
 Express future intent
through Compliance
Plans
 Would like reduced
frequency
May 17, 2012 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 5

6. RESA & Administrators,
Policy Makers
 PUC
 Ensures RES is met
 Responsible 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 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 6

7. 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 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 7

8. 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 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 8

9. May 17, 2012 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 9

10. 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 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 10

11. 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 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 11

12. 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 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 12

13. May 17, 2012 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 13

14. A Budgetary Shortfall
 Solar*Rewards
extremely popular
 Up-front incentives
caused high outflows
 Issue resolved
 Switch to performance
based incentives
 Legal agreement for a
loan from Xcel
Doing
Okay
Whoops
Getting
Back on
Track
May 17, 2012 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 14

15. 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 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 15

16. 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 ramping
May 17, 2012 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 16

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

18. Big Data, Minimal Reporting
 Business, NGOs may
not be getting the
details they want
 Self-reported data
 Consensus on trust
 Little examination
outside Xcel
 More detail coming
 More accessibility?
May 17, 2012 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 18

19. Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association
Colorado Public Utilities Commission
Xcel Energy
Vote Solar
May 17, 2012 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 19

20. WREF 2012 • May 17 • Denver, Colorado USA
Leslie Martel Baer, MS, MA, Strategist
leslie.baer@energyintersections.com
RESA Reporting in Colorado
May 17, 2012 WREF 2012 • Colorado RESA Reporting: Big Data, Many Stakeholders • Leslie Martel Baer 20