EPC provides state officials with technical assistance to support the development of public benefit programs. The US Department of Energy provides seed funding to support these efforts. In the past year, EPC has provided technical assistance to state officials in a number of states including the District of Columbia, Louisiana, Maryland and North Carolina. For example, in Louisiana, EPC provided staff support to a statewide consortium to develop a white paper describing the rational for a public benefits fund and types of services that could be provided across all energy sectors.

In District of Columbia, EPC helped officials prepare filings before the Public Service Commission regarding the implementation of the District’s public benefit program, provided briefings to city officials on the types of programs that have been implemented in other states, and designed a proposed partnership program between Fannie Mae and the District to provide subsidized loans for residential energy efficiency improvements.

Please feel free to call us if we can provide you with any of the following types of services:

Phone Consultation Services:

These services include the following legal and technical assistance topics:

• Strategies used by other states to develop public benefit programs
• Technical issues regarding program design
• Options for designing system benefit charges
• Options for including economic development activities related to energy efficiency
• Effective strategies for designing and implementing programs.

Direct Technical Assistance:

EPC has worked with across the country with state LIHEAP, Weatherization and Energy directors providing direct, on-going technical assistance throughout the implementation process. The following are examples of the types of assistance that can be provided under the Oak Ridge subcontract:

• Preparing analysis of program options
• Developing cost-effectiveness options and analysis
• Providing expert witness testimony before the PUC
• Organizing briefing sessions for press and other interested parties
• Developing broad-based materials for the potential supporters
• Identifying options and strategies for low-income aggregation.

Developing Technical Assistance Plans:

For each state that participates in EPC’s technical assistance effort, a plan will be designed to fit its unique situation and resources. Technical assistance programs are based on workplans developed in cooperation with state energy, weatherization, and energy assistance officials.

The first step of the process will be to develop a facilitated workshop and briefing to state officials. The workshop will present strategic options, determine common objectives of the three programs, develop strategies and tactics to accomplish the objectives, and identify the types of resources, both within and outside the Project’s scope, that will be necessary to accomplish agreed goals.

As a result of the information collected during the facilitated meeting, a technical assistance plan will be developed for the participating state describing the objectives of the assistance and the type of technical assistance to be provided. The work plan will be tailored to meet that state’s particular needs. After approval of the plan by in-state program leadership, the Project team will assign consultants to implement the technical assistance plan. In addition, where common issues between states are identified, a more general type of response will be recommended.

Please call Mark Wolfe if you would like to participate in any of the EPC’s program services.