Client Stories
Upgrading Duquesne Light Company’s low income energy efficiency program tracking system
Duquesne Light Company built its original low income energy efficiency (EE) tracking system decades ago in response to mandates for a Low Income Usage Reduction Program (LIURP) or “Universal Services” programs. As the system approached obsolescence, Duquesne Light approached MCR to help.
Upgrading Duquesne Light Company’s energy efficiency program tracking system
Duquesne Light Company built an energy efficiency (EE) tracking system to manage its portfolio of projects. More than a decade later, the original system continued to function as designed, but was increasingly difficult to maintain and inadequate for Duquesne’s evolving portfolio of programs. They contacted MCR to create a solution.
Conducting a nationwide market scan to help a small gas utility chart a course for development of its first EE plan
A small Mid-Atlantic gas utility had never run formal energy efficiency (EE) programs when legislation in one of its states required the utility to develop an EE plan, vet it through various stakeholder processes, and file it with the regulator. The client called on MCR to help it build knowledge, understand its programmatic options, and chart a course toward potential development and filing of its first EE plan.
Developing an energy efficiency KPI reporting process
An Energy Efficiency Manager was tasked with reporting portfolio performance key performance indicators (KPIs) to senior management on a monthly basis. Some of these KPIs were straightforward, while others were not. The Energy Efficiency Manager asked MCR to help capture some of the more challenging KPIs.
Helping an energy efficiency program continue successfully during COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted business, including full or partial closure of educational and governmental institutions across our client’s service territory. MCR saw an opportunity to implement an energy efficiency program during this time and successfully pitched it to our client, leading to significant MWh savings.
Helping Duquesne Light Company design and implement energy efficiency programs to meet its Pennsylvania Act 129 obligations over three multi-year phases
Pennsylvania Act 129 required Duquesne Light Company, and other electric distribution companies in Pennsylvania, to develop cost effective plans that would reduce electricity consumption across their service territory by one percent by 2011 and three percent by 2013. In order to meet these requirements and as a result of a competitive bid process, Duquesne Light selected MCR to design and implement an energy efficiency and demand response plan.
Helping a vertically integrated utility develop a strategy and roadmap to engaging stakeholders in a new regulatory framework that closely aligned integrated resource planning and energy efficiency
A large, vertically integrated utility found itself challenged by the need to comply with new integrated resource planning (IRP) and energy efficiency (EE) legislation and regulatory commission implementation guidance after contention in the prior IRP filing and process, and amidst criticism of EE efforts by energy and environmental advocates. With multiple parties involved and several issues being conflated, the client turned to MCR for help.
Helping a mid-size utility client deeply understand its low-income and government, non-profit and institutional markets
As part of its triennial energy efficiency (EE) planning process, a mid-size utility client wondered how much savings it could capture, and at what cost, by focusing on its low-income and government, non-profit and institutional (GNI) markets. In effect, they wanted a deep dive into market characterization and a forecast of economic potential in seven specific segments that together comprise their low-income (residential) and GNI (commercial) markets. The utility engaged MCR to help them clarify objectives and specific questions, and to develop the characterization and forecast.
Forecasting electric vehicles and photovoltaic systems for Indianapolis Power & Light’s Integrated Resource Plan
While developing its 20-year integrated resource plan, Indianapolis Power & Light Company (“IPL”) needed to incorporate electric vehicles (“EV”) and behind the meter distributed solar photovoltaic technology (“PV”) into its load and sales forecasts. The regulator and stakeholders were interested in seeing the effect of these two electro-technologies on the IPL forecast that would drive development of its preferred resource portfolio. With the goal of developing a reasonable and defensible forecast that could be easily explained, IPL approached MCR for help.
Helping Duquesne Light Company serve the low income market by facilitating multifamily passive house projects
It is well known in the world of energy efficiency that it is particularly challenging to achieve energy and demand savings in the low income residential sector. Like many utilities, Duquesne Light Company offered a program focused on serving low income multifamily properties. After the winning bidder of the implementation contract abruptly withdrew from the contract, Duquesne Light turned to MCR to help implement a Passive House program internally.
Helping Duquesne Light Company train middle and high school students to become energy auditors who develop energy conservation measures in their own schools
Pennsylvania Act 129 requires electric distribution companies in the state, including Duquesne Light Company (DLC), to develop cost effective Energy Efficiency (EE) plans that would reduce electricity consumption across their service territory. In developing an EE plan, DLC wanted to design and offer a unique program that would get students and teachers involved in learning about energy use and how they could reduce energy consumption in their own schools.
Helping Duquesne Light partner with key customers to achieve significant energy savings through retro-commissioning programs
Duquesne Light Company faced different options for implementing its portfolio of energy efficiency programs recently approved by the Pennsylvania PUC, but was apprehensive about turning over all of its customer relationships to third party contractors. MCR was asked to assist in identifying and managing key commercial and industrial customer projects.