Topic:"Equity Access" in M12249

1.2 GUIDING PRINCIPLES In developing the 2026 DSM Extension, E1 followed the same guiding principles as those which informed the 2023-2025 DSM Plan development: transparency, accessibility and equity. In terms of transparency, E1 is commit...

AI summary E1's 2026 DSM Extension adheres to transparency, accessibility, and equity principles. It maintains performance targets from the 2023-2025 DSM Plan, collaborates with the DSMAG, and allocates 20.2% of investments to low-income and equity communities through specific programs. Legislative changes creating a dedicated Energy Board and a proposed Benefit Cost Analysis Framework also influence the plan.

1.3 DESIGN OBJECTIVES E1's overarching objectives in developing the 2026 DSM Extension were as follows: - a) program continuity with the 2023-2025 DSM Plan; - b) achievability of performance targets; - c) continued cost-effectiveness; and...

AI summary E1's 2026 DSM Extension objectives include program continuity, achievable targets, cost-effectiveness, and balance. It maintains 50/50 residential-BNI investment splits but reduced low-income equity investment to 15-20% (from 17-22%) due to updated census data showing fewer low-income Nova Scotians.

vings, demand savings, and its dedicated low-income and equity target - applicable to Affordable Single-Family Homes, Affordable Multi-Family Housing, and the Mi'kmaw Home - Energy Efficiency Project. - E1 is forecasting to fall short of i...

AI summary E1 is forecasting a shortfall in its fourth Plan Performance Target of 17.9 MW of available capacity. The 2023-2025 DSM Plan's demand response program is described as an innovative testing period to define operationalization in Nova Scotia. Lessons from this period will inform future program development. E1's 2024 Annual Progress Report provides further details on these results.

3.7 LOW-INCOME AND EQUITY - In developing the 2026 DSM Extension, E1 maintained its commitment to supporting low-income and - equity communities. The 2026 DSM Extension allocates 20% of its total investment to these communities, - consiste...

AI summary E1's 2026 DSM Extension allocates 20% of total investment to low-income and equity communities, aligning with prior 21% investment levels. Dedicated programs include Affordable Multi-Family Housing, Affordable Single-Family Homes, and the Mi'kmaw Home Energy Efficiency Project. E1 also considers incidental impacts from non-targeted programs and updated assumptions on low-income impacts, detailed in Attachment 2.

Appendix A Attachment 2: Estimation of DSM Low-Income and Equity Impacts

AI summary Appendix A, Attachment 2 focuses on estimating the impacts of Demand-Side Management (DSM) programs on low-income populations and equity. It likely involves analysis of cost recovery, benefit/cost ratios, and regulatory considerations under the Public Utilities Act (PUA) by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (NSUARB).

3. INCIDENTAL LOW-INCOME AND EQUITY IMPACTS FROM NON-TARGETED PROGRAMS E1 has also assumed that customers from low-income and equity communities participate in other E1 programs in varying proportions. These are "incidental" low-income and...

AI summary E1 assumes low-income and equity customers participate in non-targeted programs, leading to incidental impacts. Sections 3.1 and 3.2 detail assumptions for the 2026 DSM Extension and DSM reporting methodologies.

3.1 2026 DSM EXTENSION ASSUMPTIONS: INCIDENTAL IMPACTS To estimate the incidental low-income and equity impacts for the 2026 DSM Extension from non-targeted programs, E1's historical low-income and equity reporting relies on information ab...

AI summary The document discusses estimating incidental low-income and equity impacts for the 2026 DSM Extension using E1's historical data from 2023-2024, as actual project details are not available through modeling. Table 2 outlines assumptions and calculations for non-targeted program components.

- DSM Resource Plan application.["](#page-116-0) 4 The next historical RBIA will be filed as part of the 2027-2031 DSM - Resource Plan Application, expected to be in February/March 2026. - The analysis provides the reader with a picture of...

AI summary The document discusses the 2027-2031 DSM Resource Plan Application, expected in 2026, and the role of RBIA analyses in assessing equity impacts on participating vs. non-participating ratepayers. It highlights that DSM investments may lower bills for participants but raise them for non-participants, requiring regulators to balance cost-effectiveness and equity trade-offs, as per the National Standard Practice Manual.

12 The 2024 Payment Schedule will be revised to reflect the carryforward , if any, related to 13 underspend from the 2020-2022 DSM Plan. 1 2 3 SCHEDULE C 4 Performance Requirements 5 6 I. UARB/NSEB-APPROVED PERFORMANCE TARGETS, THRESHOLDS,...

AI summary The 2024 Payment Schedule will be revised to account for any carryforward from underspend in the 2020-2022 DSM Plan. Performance targets and indicators are outlined, including energy savings, demand response capacity, and equity-related metrics.

ate resiliency will eventually be authorized as explicit goals for energy savings and demand reduction projects. At that point, policy for the evaluation area will be adjusted to fit integrated goals. What can be said in the absence of sys...

AI summary The text discusses energy sufficiency frameworks, emphasizing social responsibility and resource limits. It references the UNESCO 'duty of anticipation' and the European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy's (ECEEE) shift toward energy sufficiency. Nova Scotia's DSM program currently focuses on resource acquisition rather than explicit climate policy integration.

(d) Please refer to part (b) of this IR response. (e) The residential DR program component was introduced in the 2023-2025 DSM Plan. Delivering programs in 2023-2025 has provided E1 valuable insights into the actual costs and capacity from...

AI summary EfficiencyOne (E1) has introduced a residential demand response (DR) program as part of the 2023-2025 DSM Plan, acknowledging early cost-effectiveness challenges but emphasizing its role in equity and alignment with provincial clean energy goals, including the 2030 Clean Power Plan and decarbonization targets.

PUBLICATIONS Synapse Energy Economics, Climable, Brown University Climate and Development Lab. 2023. Power Play: Actions for New England's Equitable Energy Transition. Full report. Climable.org. Rickerson, W., E. Brousseau, A. Douglas, J....

AI summary The document lists publications by Synapse Energy Economics and affiliated organizations, focusing on energy transition, grid resilience, and regulatory frameworks. Reports address topics like distributed energy resources, energy equity, and resilience investments, commissioned by entities such as Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance, Union of Concerned Scientists, and Sandia National Laboratories.

Economic and Policy Analysis Small Business Utility Advocate - California (June 2020 – Present) - Provided testimony and analysis on cost recovery for wildfire management and grid hardening efforts for Southern California Edison (Docket No...

AI summary The individual served as the Small Business Utility Advocate in California, providing testimony and analysis on various energy-related topics including cost recovery for wildfire management, grid hardening, program budgets, non-energy benefits, phase-out of gas incentives, cost-effectiveness tests, and clean energy financing. They also worked on program design, underserved customer definitions, and participation rates in energy efficiency programs.

3.3 LOW-INCOME AND EQUITY SAVINGS ALLOCATIONS

AI summary This section discusses the allocation of low-income and equity savings within the regulatory proceeding. Key entities involved include Nova Scotia Power Inc. and the Nova Scotia Energy Board, with acronyms such as BCA and TRC referenced for analysis methodologies.

E1 Response E1 supports this recommendation, subject to the following conditions: (1) surveys will be executed exclusively for programs that involve some level of low-income and equity participation; and (2) the scheduling of these surveys...

AI summary E1 supports the recommendation with conditions: surveys limited to programs with low-income/equity participation and flexible scheduling aligned with program timelines. The response cites multiple exhibits and RIRs from the DSM Extension Application (M12249) and other documents.

DSM Resource Plan. The 2026 Extension maintains programming continuity with the 2025 program offerings, ensuring DSM program accessibility for customers and consistency with service delivery partners. EOne proposes to follow the same DSM r...

AI summary EfficiencyOne submits the 2026 DSM Extension Plan, maintaining continuity with prior programs and including appendices with reports, analyses, and technical tables. The plan includes stakeholder engagement acknowledgments and details on rate impacts, equity considerations, and supply agreements.

emand savings target; • 45% of the available capacity target; and • 55% of the low-income and equity target." Is E1 currently at risk of not achieving any of the 2023-2026 Performance Targets? If so, which one(s)? For each one, please expl...

AI summary The document requests information on E1's risk of missing 2023-2026 performance targets, focusing on low-income and equity metrics. It references tables detailing 2024 Residential Behavior program participation (14.9% energy savings, 0% demand savings) and asks for 2023 vs. 2024 actuals by program component.

21 Reference: Appendix A, page 28. Each year, spending by rate class is influenced by the mix of participating customers or program activity, particularly in the BNI sector, where the exact timing of project completions can be difficult to...

AI summary Annual spending by rate class is influenced by customer participation and project timing, especially in the BNI sector. E1 acknowledges the importance of reporting spending variances and is committed to improving reporting and ensuring program equity and access for all Nova Scotians.

Program Design The 2026 plan is largely an extension of the existing three-year plan which E1 states was developed based on concepts of equity, accessibility and transparency. The single change to the design objectives for 2026 was a reduc...

AI summary The 2026 plan extends E1's existing three-year program, adjusting the low-income inequity investment target to 15-20% (down from 21% in 2023-2025 but up from 8% earlier). E1 cites updated census data showing low-income Nova Scotians decreased from 17.2% to 14.9% as the rationale for this change, emphasizing equity, accessibility, and transparency.

General The Industrial Group submits that while this application has been filed as a one-year "extension plan", it lacks the full consultative approach generally employed by E1 and E1 did not fulfill all the standardized filing requirement...

AI summary The Industrial Group criticizes E1's extension plan for lacking consultative approach and failing to comply with NSUARB directives on cost-effectiveness testing and data disclosure. E1's 'balanced plan' spending (51% residential, 49% BNI) contrasts with unbalanced energy savings (35% residential, 65% BNI). The Industrial Group supports E1's adoption of updated census data for equity spending but calls for DSMAG review of E1's planning framework.

ficiency Project program components do not pass TRC. These are dedicated low-income and equity program components, within the Existing Residential program, which are expected to have lower TRC values. - The Home Energy Assessment program c...

AI summary The 2026 DSM Extension Application evaluates program components based on TRC and PAC. Key findings include Home Energy Assessment failing TRC due to lower savings and higher costs, BNI Efficient Product Rebates having the highest TRC/PAC, and BNI sector showing higher TRC than residential. Differences in TRC/PAC calculations for energy efficiency vs. direct installation measures are noted.