AI-generated summary
· Application · 07/17/2025
Expert witnesses for NSEB Counsel and Consumer Advocate filed evidence recommending approval of EfficiencyOne's 2026 DSM Extension with conditions on demand response cost-effectiveness and residential program spending
AI summary
- Synapse Energy Economics expert Jennifer Kallay (E-15) found the 2026 energy efficiency portfolio cost-effective (PAC 2.4, TRC 1.6) but flagged declining cost-effectiveness trends driven by phase-out of lighting measures and reduced avoided costs; she recommended approval while directing EfficiencyOne (Efficiencyone) to achieve a PAC of 1.0 or greater for demand response in the 2027–2031 DSM Plan.
- The demand response portfolio remains below cost-effectiveness thresholds (PAC 0.5, TRC 0.7) for 2026; Kallay attributed this partly to a shift toward Residential investment (60% in 2026 vs. 40% for Business/Non-Profit/Institutional), which carries far lower benefit-cost ratios than commercial and industrial curtailment offerings.
- Consumer Advocate witness Theodore Love (E-16) raised concern over sharply rising residential acquisition costs—first-year unit costs projected up 192% and low-income unit costs up 332% from 2024 actuals to 2026—recommending reallocation of \$2.1 million to maintain the residential sector at 55% of the energy efficiency budget, partially offsetting the loss of provincial top-up funding for the Affordable Multi-Family Housing program.
- Love disputed the 2024 Savings Verification Report's recommendation (SVR2024-Behaviour-5) to discontinue counting savings for the Efficiency Insights behavioral program, arguing that even a 0.1% participation lift across ~239,000 customers represents a practically significant 17% boost to Green Heat program enrollment.
- Both witnesses called for improvements to the Standardized Filing Framework ahead of the 2027–2031 DSM Plan, including reconvening the DSMAG, incorporating avoided T&D costs for constrained grid areas (estimated at ~3× system-wide values), and requiring EfficiencyOne to report actual PAC and TRC calculations in annual reports; the Small Business Advocate advised it would not file evidence but intends to submit written submissions.
Disclaimer: This summary was generated by AI from the filings it describes. We take care to make it accurate, but errors are possible - and it isn't advice. Only the filings themselves are the record: if you're relying on something here, confirm it against the source documents or the Nova Scotia Energy Board's own record. Full disclaimer →
What was filed
Documents filed on this day
- E-15 Evidence of J. Kallay - Synapse
- E-16 Evidence of T. Love - CA
- E-16-(i) Resume of Theodore Love
- 98577 Letter from SBA re: not filing evidence