November, 2024 — The National Energy Screening Project (NESP™) is a project of E4TheFuture. Updates in the latest newsletter include how State Energy Offices can use the NSPM; introduction of our new Senior Associate, new examples of states applying the NSPM; plus information on trainings to conduct benefit-cost analyses, become NSPM Certified™, and account for Federal tax incentives/other transfers in BCA of DERs.
State Energy Offices
Designed to provide objective, policy- and technology-neutral guidance, the National Standard Practice Manual™ enables offices to adopt a systematic approach to developing practices that reflect a state’s policies – whether articulated in statute, state energy plans, or other policy documents. BCA practices can address DER program investments related to state owned or managed buildings, federal incentives to support state and/or utility DER programs, building energy codes, building performance standards, and other strategies.
In 2025, NESP plans to update the NSPM for DERs (v2.0). The revised manual will address how State Energy Offices can apply the NSPM to support energy planning and investment decisions – both independently and in coordination with energy regulatory evaluation efforts.
Maryland, Virginia and Washington State
See a new NSPM Maryland Case Study about the just-completed process where a Maryland Unified BCA (MD-UBCA) test was developed to apply to all distributed energy resources.
NSPM core principles are now helping to guide stakeholder processes in Virginia and Washington state, in very different contexts.
Virginia has begun a process for a new BCA test for efficiency programs. The State Corporation Commission is now legally required to promulgate regulations establishing a single, cost-effectiveness test for use in evaluating proposed energy efficiency programs. The Commission was directed to develop the test using the NSPM’s BCA framework; a series of stakeholder meetings launched in September 2024 are informing the development.
In Washington, the Utilities & Transportation Commission (UTC) was directed to adopt rules to implement consolidated integrated system planning (ISP) requirements for large combination electric-gas utilities, and to adopt by rule a cost test for emissions reduction measures achieved by large combination utilities to comply with state clean energy and climate policies.
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