Analysis for the California Energy Commission on the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC)

Established in 2012, the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) invests in clean energy and energy efficiency technologies designed to benefit the ratepayers of three California investor-owned utilities. The program supports projects that are designed to produce benefits in the form of increased reliability, improved safety, and reduced electricity costs. Long-term state legislative and policy goals, primarily achieving zero carbon electricity generation by 2045, prompted the California Energy Commission to pursue a study of the program’s prospective benefits. The Commission partnered with IEc to improve and expand on its ability to estimate the benefits of EPIC grants.

IEc’s analysis focused on projects in multiple research areas, including microgrids, building energy efficiency, and renewable generation. IEc developed 25 benefit methods, mostly in the form of spreadsheet tools and calculators, to measure benefits stemming from EPIC investments including expansion of commercialization and investments; energy and cost savings, and social welfare benefits including health and environmental benefits. To forecast key long-term benefits including increased generation of renewables and avoided GHG emissions, IEc also conducted market adoption analyses, the results of which were used as inputs into analyses that utilized the spreadsheet tools.

IEc completed a comprehensive set of analyses and delivered a final report in time for the EPIC reauthorization and renewal proceeding. In November 2020, IEc delivered a series of presentations at a workshop hosted by the California Energy Commission; the presentations can be found on their webpage.