6.1e ERMUSR 08-09-2022______________________________________________________________________________
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UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO:
ERMU Commission
FROM:
Tom Sagstetter – Conservation & Key Accounts Manager
MEETING DATE:
August 9, 2022
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
6.1e
SUBJECT:
Staff Update
ACTION REQUESTED:
None
DISCUSSION:
• In the last 30 days, the level two charger located downtown had 36 sessions and
provided customers with 297 kWh of green energy. The level two charger located in the
parking lot in front of the ERMU main office has been repaired, had 4 sessions, and
provided customers with 67 kWh. The DC fast charger at the Coborn’s fuel station needs
a modem upgrade to allow for connection to the network. ERMU staff is exploring DC
fast charging options for the replacement of the ChargePoint charger at Coborn’s but
will be purchasing the modem to extend service through March of 2023.
• Staff is soliciting bids from electric vehicle (EV) charger vendors for two EV chargers. The
DC fast charger at Coborn’s fuel station will no longer be supported by ChargePoint
starting in April of 2023 and will have to be replaced or removed. The second cost
estimate is for a level two charger that would be located at the new field services
building in the customer parking lot.
• Currently there are 17 active residential solar photovoltaic projects under review or
construction in the ERMU service territory. Staff continues to work with customers
pursuing a solar installation at varying stages in their projects.
• Staff continues to discuss future options for the energy generation facility at the Elk
River landfill. All contracts end as of October 31, 2022.
• Staff prepared and filed the annual Conservation Improvement Program (CIP) filing that
includes the actual energy savings and spending for the 2021 program year. The results
for 2021 are well below the energy savings and spending requirements. The required
spending was $547,350 and actual was $426,381 (a $120,969 difference). The energy
savings requirement was 4,855,289 kWh and ERMU had 2,253,972 kWh (a 2,601,317
kWh difference). There was not a lot of activity for commercial rebates because of the
pandemic and supply chain issues. Many commercial customers could not get energy-
efficient equipment or were not spending capital dollars on facilities during the
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uncertain times. As for the spending shortfall this was a result of decreased demand for
rebates and the lack of load management programs. Currently ERMU is not marketing
any load management or time-of-use programs except the EV Charger program. ERMU
will be budgeting and planning for increased activity in the load management and time-
of-use rates programs as the implementation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure
(AMI) gets closer so that both residential and commercial customers continue to receive
high quality efficiency programs. ERMU will have to meet the savings requirement at
least once between 2023 and 2025 to avoid the possibility of the MN Department of
Commerce imposing requirements for spending and savings on conservation programs.
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