Section 170IAC4-8-4. Demand-side management program evaluation

   (a) When seeking commission approval for cost recovery, DSM incentives, or lost revenue, a utility shall develop a process and load impact evaluation plan to assess implementation and quantify the impact on energy and demand of the demand-side resource. The evaluation plan must include the following:

(1) The type and timing of the measurement activity used to evaluate a demand-side resource.

(2) The process where the result is used to modify the impact estimate for future planning and design of the demand-side program.

(3) The procedure employed regarding the following aspects of the evaluation of each program:

(A) Establish a protocol to collect basic data on load impact, participation level, utility cost, participant cost, and total cost. Data must be gathered to determine the load shape impact, net program savings, useful life of the measure, and persistence of savings, including utility actions to optimize market penetration of the program and minimize free-riders.

(B) Compare demand patterns of similar participant and nonparticipant groups, through the use of customer bill analysis, engineering estimates, end-use meter data, or other methods to identify the gross and net impacts of program participation on customers' usage and demand patterns.

(4) A method to measure rebound or the income effect for a program or a sector where the effect may be significant.

  (b) A utility shall submit to the commission, annually, a document containing information, data, and results from the utility's process and load impact evaluation studies. (Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission; 170 IAC 4-8-4; filed Aug 31, 1995, 10:00 a.m.: 19 IR 27; readopted filed Jul 11, 2001, 4:30 p.m.: 24 IR 4233; readopted filed Apr 24, 2007, 8:21 a.m.: 20070509-IR-170070147RFA; readopted filed Aug 2, 2013, 2:16 p.m.: 20130828-IR-170130227RFA)