Section 2-5-45.1-6 - Study topics(a) Not later than November 1, 2022, the task force shall study the following issues: (1) The management of stranded utility assets, including:(A) the use of securitization to recover stranded utility costs associated with legacy generation units; and(B) the establishment of an annual reporting requirement that would require cooperatively owned power suppliers to annually report to the Indiana utility regulatory commission information concerning stranded costs, including information concerning:(i) any differences between the costs for and the market value of a cooperatively owned power supplier's supply side portfolio;(ii) any reduced electric load experienced by a cooperatively owned power supplier; and(iii) any shifting of costs among member rural electric corporations of the cooperatively owned power supplier related to a cooperatively owned power supplier's reduced electric load or stranded costs. As used in this clause, a "cooperatively owned power supplier" means either a general district corporation within the meaning of IC 8-1-13-23, or a corporation organized under IC 23-17 whose membership includes one (1) or more corporations organized under IC 8-1-13, regardless of whether the cooperatively owned power supplier or any of its members has withdrawn from the jurisdiction of the Indiana utility regulatory commission.
(2) Methods to assure fairness to all customer classes in retail electric rate structures, including alternative rate designs, such as time-of-use pricing, real-time pricing, and critical peak pricing.(3) Appropriate regulation of the deployment of distributed energy resources, consistent with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Order No. 2222 (172 FERC 61,247 (2020)).(4) The impact on communities of utility plant or fuel source site closures.(5) The status of energy efficiency efforts in Indiana, and the potential development of a statewide energy efficiency plan.(6) Energy issues affecting: (A) low income communities; and(B) communities of color; in relation to business and employment opportunities in those communities.
(7) The potential use of "green zones", or "energy investment districts", that: (A) are established in: (i) low income communities; or(ii) communities of color; that have experienced inequitable environmental and economic hardships; and
(B) provide financial and technical assistance to develop local renewable energy resources by doing the following: (i) Identifying impacted communities for targeted investments in local renewable energy resources and projects.(ii) Prioritizing the identified communities for public investment, at both the state and local level, in renewable energy resources and projects, including related job creation programs and economic development initiatives.(iii) Advancing local projects that install renewable energy resources and projects in the census tracts most burdened by inequitable environmental and economic hardships, while prioritizing both the creation of local jobs with sustainable wages and the transformation of neighborhoods in a manner that ensures sustainable development that does not result in the displacement of longtime residents or businesses.(iv) Providing resources and assistance to impacted communities, such as by directing a portion of any proceeds from the securitization of stranded utility assets toward the funding of local renewable energy resources and projects.(v) Establishing community governance and democratic decision making processes to ensure that investments made in local renewable energy resources and projects, along with the use of revenue generated by those resources and projects, are shaped by community input, leadership, and planning. In studying the issues set forth in this subdivision, the task force may consider the experience of other jurisdictions that have established green zones or energy investment districts.
(8) Methods for the state to encourage electricity storage technology research.(9) The impact of large scale electric vehicle deployment on electric grid capacity and reliability.(10) Electric vehicle charging station ownership and responsibility.(11) Demand response and pricing systems that incentivize temporal shifting of electric load.(b) The task force may, at the discretion of the co-chairs, examine any of the issues set forth in IC 2-5-45-6 (before its expiration), to the extent necessary to: (1) study the issues set forth in subsection (a); or(2) develop the recommendations and issue the report required by section 7 of this chapter.Added by P.L. 131-2021,SEC. 1.