Rocky Mountain Power, stakeholders debate shifting DSM cost-effectiveness standard at Utah PSC technical conference

SALT LAKE CITY — Rocky Mountain Power and its consultants briefed the Utah Public Service Commission and stakeholders Wednesday on how the company measures the cost effectiveness of demand‑side management programs and on proposed clarifications to reporting practices.

Michael Snow, a Rocky Mountain Power representative, opened the technical conference by saying the meeting's purpose was “to just present information” and to answer questions about cost‑effectiveness methodologies, avoided costs and related calculations.

The presentation, led by Eli Morris, senior director at ICF, summarized standard cost‑effectiveness tests derived from the California Standard Practice Manual and recent national guidance. Morris said jurisdictions still use five canonical tests — the utility (program administrator) cost test (UCT), total resource cost (TRC) test, participant cost test, ratepayer impact measure (RIM) and societal cost test — and explained how benefits and costs are included differently in each. “We're talking specifically about cost effectiveness of demand side management programs,” Morris said.

Why it matters: commissioners and stakeholders said the outcome of how Rocky Mountain Power defines the planning threshold affects which DSM measures the company will prioritize, how the company presents public filings and how rate impacts are analyzed. Jennifer Eden of Utah Clean Energy asked, “How does the company prioritize DSM as a resource as…