Due by September 15, 2023 by 5:00 PM (PST)
Questions Due: September 01, 2023
Central Coast Community Energy, hereinafter referred to as 3CE, is soliciting proposals from a qualified organization(s), hereinafter referred to as “CONTRACTOR(S),” to provide rate design, evaluation, and support. This solicitation is not intended to create an exclusive service agreement and multiple awards may be made. 3CE retains the ability, at its sole discretion, to add qualified CONTRACTORS at any time.
3CE is a Community Choice Aggregator (“CCA”) established in 2017 pursuant to Public Utilities Code Section 366.2 and operating as a joint powers authority pursuant to Government Code section 6500 et seq. 3CE currently serves residential, commercial and agricultural/industrial customers in communities located within the unincorporated areas of the Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Santa Barbara Counties, as well as the Cities of Arroyo Grande, Buellton, Capitola, Carmel, Carpinteria, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzales, Greenfield, Goleta, Grover Beach, Guadalupe, Hollister, Marina, Monterey, Morro Bay, Pacific Grove, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, Salinas, Santa Maria, San Juan Bautista, San Luis Obispo, Sand City, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Seaside, Soledad, Solvang, and Watsonville. The City of Atascadero and the Unincorporated County of San Luis Obispo are slated to begin 3CE service in 2025. 3CE’s geographic service area includes customers who receive Transmission & Distribution (T&D) service from their respective Investor-Owned Utility (IOU) Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE). 3CE’s customers may choose to opt out and receive generation service from their IOU instead of 3CE.
At inception, 3CE used IOU-indexed rates, wherein it set its rates as a percent discount to the prevailing IOU rate. In March 2022, 3CE implemented Cost of Service (COS) rates for customers in its PG&E service area, transitioning away from the IOU-indexed model. The COS model was designed to recover 3CE revenue requirements and allocate costs to each customer class based on the cost to serve that class. COS rate studies are set on a 3-year cycle. Customers in the SCE service area continue to follow the IOU-index model.
3CE is seeking consultants to address the following needs through this RFP:
• Evaluate the current COS rate design to determine how successfully the rates are recovering the revenue requirements and recalibrate current allocation and COS rate design as necessary.
• Support staff in developing revenue requirements for the CY 2025-2027 rate design cycle.
• Collaborate with and support staff in determining whether to develop standalone COS service rates for the SCE service area or integrated rates for the entire PG&E and SCE service area.
• Collaborate with and support staff in developing new rate schedules as necessary, including real time pricing rates.
• Provide ongoing rate analytics and rate design support. This includes but is not limited to tracking IOU rate changes and associated proceedings, assisting in developing 3CE rate change scenarios, and validating rate values prior to implementation.