New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 17 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND UTILITY SERVICES › Chapter 7 - ENERGY CONSERVATION › Part 2 - ENERGY EFFICIENCY › Section 17.7.2.10 - SELF-DIRECTED PROGRAM CREDITS FOR LARGE CUSTOMERS

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
The following criteria apply to large customer utility
				  credits for self-directed programs.
A.
				The expenditures made by the large customer at its facilities shall be
				cost-effective according to the utility cost test.
B. Projects that have received rebates,
				financial or other program support from a utility are not eligible for a
				credit.
C. Eligible expenditures
				must have a simple payback period of more than one year but less than seven
				years.
D. Large customers shall
				seek and receive approval for credits from the utility or a commission-approved
				self-direct administrator.
E. Large
				customers applying for an investor-owned electric utility bill credit must meet
				the electricity consumption size criteria set forth in Subsection G of Section
				62-17-4 NMSA 1978 and the utility cost test.
F. Large customers applying for gas utility
				bill credit must meet the gas consumption criteria as set forth in Subsection G
				of Section 62-17-4 NMSA 1978 and the utility cost test.
G. Large customers seeking a credit shall
				provide, to the public utility or the commission-approved self-direct program
				administrator, access to all relevant engineering studies and documentation
				needed to verify energy savings of the project, and allow access to its site
				for reasonable inspections, at reasonable times. All records relevant to a
				self-direct program shall be maintained by the large customer for the duration
				of that program, which shall be evaluated in accordance with
				17.7.2.15
				NMAC, subject to appropriate protections for confidentiality.
H. The utility shall designate a qualified
				representative to review, approve, or disapprove large customer requests for
				credits.
I. The commission may
				appoint a "commission-approved" self-direct program administrator to review,
				approve, or disapprove large customer requests for credits.
J. Approvals or disapprovals by the utility
				representative or administrator shall be subject to commission review. Within
				30 business days of the action, the utility representative or administrator
				shall file and serve notice of each self-direct program review, approval, or
				disapproval with the commission, and on all interested parties. Notice of an
				appeal of a utility or administrator approval or disapproval of a large
				customer credit request shall be filed with the commission within 30 calendar
				days of the approval or disapproval action by Staff, the large customer or any
				interested party.
K. Once approved,
				the credit may be used to offset up to seventy percent of the tariff rider
				authorized by the Efficient Use of Energy Act, until said credit is
				exhausted.
L. Any credit not fully
				utilized in the year it is received shall carry over to subsequent
				years.
M. Implementation of credits
				shall be designed to minimize utility administrative costs.
N. Self-direct program participants, or large
				customers seeking exemption, shall submit qualified in-house or contracted
				engineering studies, and such other information as may be reasonably required
				by the utility or program administrator, to demonstrate qualification for
				self-direct program credits.
O.
				Large customers must respond to reasonable utility or administrator information
				requests and allow the utility or an administrator to perform necessary site
				visits.
P. The utility or
				administrator shall act in a timely manner on requests for self-direct program
				approval.
Q. For investor-owned
				electric utilities, the equivalent amount of energy savings associated with a
				large customer's self-directed program will be accounted for in calculating its
				compliance with minimum required energy savings.
R. Large customer expenditures incurred to
				produce electric energy savings or electric demand savings are only eligible
				for an electric utility bill credit. Large customer expenditures incurred to
				produce natural gas energy savings or natural gas demand savings are only
				eligible for a gas utility bill credit. Large customer expenditures incurred to
				produce both electric and natural gas energy savings, both electric and natural
				gas demand savings, or any combination of energy savings and demand savings for
				both electric and natural gas are eligible for both an electricity bill credit
				and a gas utility bill credit, provided that the same energy efficiency
				expenditures or load management expenditures cannot be accounted for
				twice.
S. Upon written request by
				the large customer, the information provided by that customer to the utility or
				program administrator, program evaluator, or others, shall remain confidential,
				except as otherwise ordered by the commission.