RD595 - Assessing the Rates and Terms and Conditions of Incumbent Electric Utilities in the Commonwealth Pursuant to the Seventh Enactment Clause of Chapter 933 (SB 1416) of the 2007 Acts of Assembly – November 1, 2022
Executive Summary: On April 4, 2007, the General Assembly of Virginia ("General Assembly") enacted House Bill 3068 and Senate Bill 1416, which became Chapters 888 and 933 of the 2007 Acts of Assembly (collectively, "Chapter 933"). The Seventh Enactment Clause of Chapter 933 ("the Clause"), among other things, directs the State Corporation Commission ("Commission" or "SCC"), in consultation with the Office of Attorney General, to conduct a five-year assessment of "the rates and terms and conditions of incumbent electric utilities in the Commonwealth" including analysis of "the amount, reliability and type of generation facilities needed to serve Virginia native load compared to that available to serve such load." The following report ("Report") provides the Commission's updated assessment on the referenced matters, involving principally Dominion Energy Virginia ("DEV" or "Dominion"), Appalachian Power Company ("APCo"), and the electric cooperatives. Rate Assessment • DEV's residential bill for 1,000 kilowatt-hours ("kWh") of energy usage per month, which was $90.59 as of July 1, 2007, increased by $46.34 (51.15%) to $136.93(*1) per month as of July 1, 2022. • The increase in the rate adjustment clause ("RACs") component of DEV's bill was the largest. This component accounts for $30.92 of the total bill increase since July 1, 2007. • The fuel factor component increased by $13.06, while the base rates component increased by $2.36. • APCo's residential bill for 1,000 kWh per month was $66.61 as of July 1, 2007. APCo's residential bill increased by $55.64 (83.53%) to $122.25 per month as of July 1, 2022. • The majority of APCo's residential bill increase is attributable to the RAC component, which increased by $35.13 over this period. • The fuel factor component increased by $9.88,(*2) while the base rates component increased by $10.63. • The range of the increases experienced by the electric cooperatives over this period extends from a low of 7.89% to a high of 86.95%. Reliability and Needed Generating Facilities • DEV, APCo, and the electric cooperatives are, either directly or indirectly through purchased power agreements ("PPAs"), members of the PJM(*3) regional transmission organization ("RTO") whose primary mission is to ensure the safety, reliability, and security of the bulk electric power system. • DEV relies on its generating resources, PPAs, demand-side management ("DSM") initiatives, and short-term energy purchases for satisfying its load serving obligations to customers. In April 2021, DEV announced that it would elect to procure its capacity through the Fixed Resource Requirement alternative to the PJM capacity market auction.(*4) By electing to participate in this alternative, DEV will be unable to participate in the capacity market that PJM coordinates and will instead be required to meet any forecasted capacity needs through construction of additional capacity resources, bilateral contracts with other utilities and merchant generators, or a combination of the two. • Since October of 2017, DEV has purchased, developed, or entered into PPAs with approximately 340 megawatts ("MW") of solar resources, some of which were built for current or future compliance with the requirements of the Grid Transformation and Security Act ("GTSA")(*5) and the Virginia Clean Economy Act ("VCEA").(*6) • The Commission has also determined that DEV's purchasing, developing, or entering PPAs for 914 MW of solar resources and 103 MW of energy storage resources with expected commercial operation dates of 2022 and 2023 were prudent, and some of these projects, if applicable, received certificates of public convenience and necessity ("CPCNs") permitting their construction.(*7) Through its approved offshore wind pilot project, DEV also developed two 6 MW wind turbines in 2020 off the shoreline of Virginia Beach, Virginia.(*8) • The Commission granted DEV's request for approval of a rate adjustment clause, designated Rider SNA, for costs associated with preparing Petitions for Subsequent License Renewal to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend the operating licenses of, and the projects reasonably appropriate to upgrade or replace systems and equipment deemed to be necessary to operate safely and reliability, Dominion's Surry Units 1 and 2 and North Anna Units 1 and 2 in an extended period of operation.(*9) • DEV's 2022 Update to its 2020 IRP(*10) anticipates adding approximately 13,692 MW of solar, 2,600 MW of off-shore wind, 2,620 MW of storage, and retiring approximately 2,561 MW of generating resources over the next 15 years, based on its VCEA-compliant IRP plan.(*11) • APCo, as a PJM member, has elected to rely on its generating resources, PPAs, DSM initiatives, and short-term energy purchases to satisfy its load-serving obligations to customers. • In 2018, APCo entered into a PPA for a 120 MW wind farm located in Indiana.(*12) Since October of 2017, APCo has entered into 55 MW of solar PPAs. APCo also has a portfolio of 630 MW of PPAs consisting of five wind farms, one hydroelectric facility, and three solar facilities expected to come online in 2022.(*13) • Over the next 15 years, APCo anticipates that 1,785 MW of nameplate capacity solar, 1,154 MW of nameplate capacity wind, and 400 MW of energy storage will be added to its portfolio.(*14) During this same time, wind contracts of approximately 375 MW (nameplate) will expire.(*15) • In Case No. PUR-2020-00015,16 the Commission required APCo to perform a unit-by-unit retirement analysis for the Amos and Mountaineer coal units located in West Virginia and provide that analysis in APCo's 2022 IRP, which is currently pending before the Commission. (*17) APCo is also separately seeking Commission approval for investments at Amos and Mountaineer, which is currently pending before the Commission.(*18) • APCo's internal capacity (owned capacity, capacity acquired through long-term non-utility generation PPAs, and DSM reductions) is projected to be sufficient for meeting its capacity obligations through 2036.(*19) APCo plans to continue purchasing energy, as is needed and economical, from the PJM market. Peer Group Comparison • The Clause requires the Commission to report every five years on a comparison of Virginia IOUs to those in their peer groups that meet the criteria of Code § 56-585.1 A 2. The Commission, through its Staff ("Staff"), developed several rate comparisons that utilize information from various Edison Electric Institute ("EEI") publications to assess the competitiveness of DEV's and APCo's rates as compared to those of the statutorily defined peer groups. This data can be found in Appendices 4, 5, and 6. • Out of the 11 companies in the peer group, DEV is ranked 4th in the category of annualized residential rates, 3rd for annualized commercial rates, and 5th for annualized industrial rates.(*20) • APCo is 6th in annualized residential, commercial, and industrial rates. • At this time, APCO's and DEV's electricity rates appear to be competitive with their peer utilities, although pending and future rate requests, with a specific regard to fuel factor cases, could impact the competitiveness of electricity rates in the future. |