STATE AND PUBLIC ENTITIES

We have assisted energy consumers in rate case proceedings and in other initiatives that impact rates. Our clients include state consumer advocate organizations, state attorney generals, and large industrial customer groups.

We offer our full range of analytical, policy, planning, and expert testimony services to these clients. We also serve individual large retail customers in energy procurement and energy project analysis.


WHO WE SERVE

Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel
La Capra presented testimony on behalf of the Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) concerning Connecticut Light & Power’s (CL&P) request for increased rates resulting from distribution investment and higher expenses. Our testimony found that CL&P’s reliability indices had not been decreasing and that the Company had not justified the level of investment and expense that it was proposing.

We also testified on behalf of the OCC on ratemaking issues resulting from Federally Mandated Congestion Costs and concerning the CL&P / United Illuminating 345 kV transmission line proposal before the Connecticut Siting Council.

We are currently assisting the OCC in review of a rate allocation and rate design filing by United Illuminating Company.

Hawaii Division of Consumer Advocacy
We are providing a full range of consulting services to the Hawaii Division of Consumer Advocacy in the review of specific procurement contracts and in an on-going series of electric company integrated resource planning (“IRP”) and competitive resource procurement proceedings.

Various Hawaii utilities have recently contracted for increased power supplies from independent power producers including wind and thermal projects. La Capra analyzed the contract terms and energy pricing and then drafted Statements of Position for filing with the PUC.

In the IRP proceeding, we assisted with pre-filing stakeholder collaborative processes regarding the Hawaiian Electric Company, Hawaii Electric Light Company and Maui Electric Company.  This included preparing a set of generic informational requirements to establish a foundation for collaborative IRP discussions.  We will assist in the review of formal IRP filings in proceedings before the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, including developing a Statement of Position and testimony.

For the competitive resource procurement proceedings, we have recommended a general approach to procurement and assisted in the development of a Statement of Position on all key issues.  

We have also assisted the Consumer Advocate in proceedings to establish a standard form contract for renewable generating facilities and in relation to Hawaii’s recently enhanced renewable portfolio standard.

Illinois Attorney General’s Office
La Capra is providing expert testimony and advice in a major procurement proceeding involving ComEd and Ameren’s proposals to acquire POLR service contracts for their customers through an auction, similar to New Jersey’s BGS auction. There are close to 30,000 MW of peak load that will be served through these products and exposed to the risk premiums associated with full-requirement contracts.

We highlighted some major risks and recommendations associated with the implementation of the proposal in our testimony for the AG, including the need to have more active management of portfolios and/or more frequent auctions to mitigate market timing.

National Rail Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)
Since 1999, La Capra has advised the National Rail Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) in the procurement of retail electric generation service. The primary focus of this effort has been Amtrak's Northeast Corridor operations, which purchase over 700 million kWh of electricity per year in more than ten states.

Our responsibilities have included analysis of utility generation prices, solicitation of competitive supplies, evaluation of proposals, competitive negotiations with suppliers, and communication of key themes and recommendations to Amtrak management. This effort has produced several successful supply contracts, resulting in several million dollars of customer savings.

La Capra has also assisted Amtrak in the negotiation of utility electricity tariffs to supply the electrification of train service from New Haven, Connecticut to Boston, Massachusetts. This effort has resulted in the implementation of successful tariffs with Connecticut Light and Power and Narragansett Electric, featuring more appropriate rate design and significant savings relative to the utilities' proposed tariffs.

Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers
La Capra is currently assisting the OIEC regarding a requested rate increase by Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E). The rate increase request results in part from the utility’s acquisition of a power plant from a merchant energy company. La Capra is assessing the prudency of the asset acquisition and developing expert testimony on behalf of the OIEC. La Capra is continuing to assist the OIEC in proceedings relating to PURPA contracts, resource procurement planning, and avoided cost issues.

Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate
La Capra Associates has provided policy and technical advice to the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) on several fronts. Work for the OCA has included competitive energy market design; assessment of the impact of wholesale market design and pricing rules on retail rates and competition; market monitoring and market power mitigation; regional reliability and resource adequacy; PJM market design, expansion and RTO development; and the proposed Exelon/PSE&G merger in which we recently filed testimony.

La Capra provided expert testimony regarding stranded costs and the unbundling of retail rates in restructuring dockets opened in 1997 and 1998 involving each of the Pennsylvania investor-owned utilities. Our testimony on appropriate stranded costs, rate unbundling, and rate design was accepted in each case.

Wisconsin Citizens’ Utility Board
We testified on behalf of the CUB in a case regarding the Wisconsin Electric Power’s request for a rate increase to collect costs associated with large baseload generation additions and mandated expenditures on DSM. La Capra recommended that (1) the allocation of generation costs should reflect the significant energy savings expected and (2) the allocation of DSM costs should be related to the benefits received. We are currently assisting the CUB on the pending Wisconsin Electric Power fuel cost recovery and rate increase requests. In the current cases, we are addressing cost allocation issues, prudency of power procurement, and an alternative ratemaking proposal.