Energy Roundtable: Audrey Zibelman
Q: An order for “Track One” of the Renewing the Energy Vision (REV) proceeding is due this year. What does it entail, when will it be out and what’s in store for the next phase?
AZ: In the first quarter of 2015, the Commission expects to take a significant step when it adopts a policy framework for the REV regulatory proceeding and makes decisions on some critical REV issues. The Commission will provide guidance to the industry, set some changes in motion, and lay out REV’s implementation framework. This will be the next step in an evolving process that will result in changes affording New York’s electricity customers more control and more choice over their energy use. In the second quarter of 2015, the Commission expects to consider ratemaking reforms to secure equitable allocation of benefits and costs among customers and to align utilities’ financial interests with the objectives of reform. The direction taken by the Commission in this proceeding is entirely consistent with the terms of the draft State Energy Plan, which calls for the use of markets and reformed regulatory techniques to achieve increased system efficiency, greenhouse gas emission reductions and customer empowerment.
Q: Some state lawmakers have been pushing their own energy initiatives. What is their role when it comes to the REV?
AZ: We strongly encourage the participation of state legislative officials, such as Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, in the development process of REV. In fact, we just completed a 12-city statewide public statement hearing tour which focused on REV and its Utility 2.0 counterpart on Long Island. During the tour, we directly interacted with nearly 1,000 New Yorkers, including numerous state and local lawmakers, community and advocacy organizations, making it the largest statewide energy public hearing process in PSC history. Given the fact that a critical component of the REV initiative is that presents opportunities for communities to incubate and take advantage of distributed generation projects, public participation is fundamentally important.
Q: What are the components of the state’s goal of transitioning to clean energy?
AZ: By animating markets, through statewide initiatives such as the Clean Energy Fund and $1 billion NY Green Bank, New York is moving to diversify its support of the clean-energy industry to address market barriers and attract private capital necessary to achieve the state’s economic development and environmental objectives.