2. Background
On September 19, 2003, the assigned administrative law judges (ALJs) and I solicited comments from the parties on the proposed scope of Phase 2 of this rulemaking.1 Under our proposal, Phase 2 would focus on the development of an analysis framework for use in the respondents' business cases for possible widespread advanced metering infrastructure deployment (the so-called "AMI Business Case"). Respondents would not file their actual business case applications until after this preliminary analytical work had been done. As part of this foundational effort, we proposed that parties also explore two additional matters: 1) revisions to the Standard Practice Manual (SPM) and 2) how air conditioner (AC) cycling can be presented as an alternative in the analysis framework. We also proposed to include within the scope of Phase 2 the continuing efforts to resolve a number of ongoing implementation issues, specifically, completion of a viable real time pricing (RTP) tariff proposal; questions about the scope of agricultural customer participation in demand response programs; whether to adopt the Office of Ratepayer Advocates' (ORA's) revenue shortfall recovery proposal; eliminating barriers to the availability of the Demand Reserves Partnership2 to Investor-owned Utility (IOU) customers; and miscellaneous metering issues.3
On October 6, 2003, the following twelve parties filed responsive comments: the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), the California Consumer Empowerment Alliance (CCEA), the California Farm Bureau Federation (CFBF), the California Large Energy Consumers Association (CLECA), the California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA), the Coalition of California Utility Employees (CUE), ORA, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), San Francisco Community Power Cooperative (SF Co-op), Southern California Edison Company (SCE), and the Utility Reform Network (TURN).
1 See Assigned Commissioner and Administrative Law Judges' Ruling Setting Forth Scope of Phase 2, issued September 19, 2003 (September 19 Ruling).
2 The Demand Reserves Partnership program offered under the aegis of the California Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority (CPA) was one of four programs approved as demand response offerings for large customers in Decision (D.) 03-06-032.
3 September 19, Ruling, pp. 3-11.
