PBR Scorecards and Metrics

Grid Investment Efficiency

This page contains reported metrics related to grid investment efficiency, which are further described below:

  • Avoided transmission and distribution (T&D) Investment Reported Metric
  • Non-Wires Alternatives (NWA) Total Cost Reported Metric

Avoided T&D Investment Reported Metric

This metric tracks the total value of proposed T&D capital investments to satisfy a grid need (e.g., capacity expansion, reliability back-tie or resilience) that is deferred or avoided through NWA* technologies. NWA projects can be deployed by the utility or acquired through a customer program or competitive procurement. An NWA includes an electricity grid project that uses nontraditional T&D solutions, including, but not limited to, grid-scale or distributed generation, energy storage, energy efficiency, demand response (DR) and grid software and controls, to replace the need for conventional transmission and/or distribution infrastructure investments.

The company seeks NWA projects using the Non-Wires Opportunity Evaluation Methodology. As NWA solutions are identified that meet the requirements of a traditional solution (e.g., wires solution), the company will seek proposals by bidders with the capability to meet the intended grid need. This metric will be used for traditional wires projects that undergo an NWA evaluation, procurement and are executed/deployed. As of 2021, there have not been any NWA technologies that have been acquired or deployed that satisfy a grid need.

The Company is currently pursuing the following NWA:

Metric: Total value ($) of deferred and/or avoided T&D capital investments due directly to the installation or acquisition of an NWA, reported annually by T&D capital investment with a description of the NWA that enabled the deferral, by service territory.

Reporting Frequency: Annual

Cost of Avoided T and D Through Deployment of NWAs, annually

NWA Total Cost Reported Metric

This metric tracks total cost of NWA projects deployed by the utility or acquired through a customer program or competitive procurement. As of 2021, there have not been any NWA technologies acquired or deployed that satisfy a grid need.

Metric: Total cost of NWA projects deployed by the utility or acquired through a customer program or competitive procurement, which are owned or operated by the company or a third party that defers or avoids T&D capital investment, reported annually by capital investment and service territory.

Reporting Frequency: Annual

Cost of Deployed NWAs, Annually

*NWAs include Non-Transmission Alternatives (NTA) and Non-Distribution Alternatives (NDA). Seeking NWAs are consistent with Exhibit A in Decision and Order No. 32052, filed April 28, 2014, in Docket No. 2012-0036 (Integrated Resource Planning), at 12 – “New, replacement or upgrade high-voltage transmission projects generally represent significant, lumpy capital investments that will be given careful scrutiny. NTAs such as local peaking or back-up generators, energy storage, demand response and smart grid resources are technically and commercially available alternatives that must be evaluated as part of any economic justification for new transmission system projects.”