13. RAM Program Implementation
13.1. RAM Implementation Advice Letter Filing
PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E shall file Tier 3 advice letters within 60 days of the date this order is mailed to put RAM procedures in place. The implementation advice letters shall include procurement protocols, a RAM standard contract consistent with the provisions of this decision, and any other details necessary to implement the program. Furthermore, the IOUs should use the advice letters filed pursuant to the decisions establishing the IOU Solar Photovoltaic Programs138 as a model on what to include in the RAM advice letter.
Other requirements of the advice letter filing including the following: the IOUs shall state when they will hold a RAM auction and specify the amount of capacity and the products they will plan to procure in each auction over the next two years. IOUs shall include and explain any other bid selection criteria they will utilize, for example a seller concentration limit. The advice letter filing shall include a description of the generation profiles and characteristics that correspond with each product bucket. Furthermore, the IOUs shall provide the preferred locations map and a description of how the maps were computed. The IOUs may include any other requests related to the implementation of RAM auctions, which are consistent with this decision, for Commission consideration. Parties may file and serve comments or protests within 20 days of the date the IOUs' implementation advice letters are filed. (General Order 96-B)
Lastly, in the interest of ensuring that this program remains relevant and effective we believe that periodic program forums are appropriate and should be held once per year, beginning after the initial RAM auctions are conducted. These forums will provide a venue to discuss program design and implementation, and provide opportunities for stakeholder comments and feedback. Such forums can provide invaluable insights into the effectiveness of the program as adopted and suggest potential modifications that may be appropriate to ensure the program is realizing its intended aims. The IOUs may use the stakeholder feedback from each forum to develop and submit advice letters seeking modifications to the RAM program. Similarly, Energy Division may issue a resolution on its own motion to propose program modifications based on information from these program forums, as well as information from the program reports described above.
The Existing FIT-the statutory MPR-based fixed price tariff for 250 MW of water/wastewater retail customers-applies to projects independently of the RAM. We will update the Existing FIT in a separate decision to address final implementation issues scoped in June 2008, along with provisions of SB 32. This will include, for example, treatment of excess sales to program capacity limits, third party ownership, an updated price, an updated MW allocation (from 250 MW for water/wastewater customers of electrical corporations to 750 MW for all customers of electrical corporations and local publicly owned electric utilities), and other items as appropriate.
138 See D.09-06-049, D.10-04-052, and D.10-09-016.
