As requested by the Governor's Committee on Energy Choice, the Commission as opened an investigation on the energy choice initiative. Consistent with the Committee's request, the Commission will be studying the following issues:
"1. Prospective timeline for the implementation of the Initiative.
2. Amendments or repeals to any current Nevada laws, policies, or existing energy programs that may be necessary to establish an open and competitive electricity market in Nevada.
3. Options reasonably available to Nevada in designing and establishing a wholesale electric service market, including, but not limited to, reliance on existing bilateral markets; establishment of contractual relationships and possible governance structures with multi-state independent system operators (ISO); and/or regional transmission organizations (RTOs).
4. Options reasonably available to Nevada in designing and establishing a competitive retail electric service market, including, but not limited to, relative pros and cons; the best practices and structure for Nevada; and options for a service provider of last resort."

In addition to the four issues that the Energy Choice Committee requested the Commission to study, the Commission determined to also examine an additional issue:
"Potential short- and long-term financial benefits and risks to the residents and businesses of Nevada that may be associated with implementing the Initiative and the best strategies for maximizing any benefits (e.g., savings) and mitigating any risks (e.g., costs)."

The Commission also clarified that the purpose of the investigation is to develop a preliminary report of "objective decision-points and facts" from the stakeholder input received to inform the implementation of the energy choice initiative, if re-approved in 2018.

Comments on the issues are due December 8, 2017, and reply comments are due December 29, 2017. A workshop to review comments received will be held on January 9, 2018. The full text of the Notice of Energy Choice Initiative Investigation and Workshop is available on the NEM Website.

Dominion filed rebuttal testimony regarding its proposed CRG Rate Schedules for 100% renewable energy energy for commercial and industrial customers with demand of 1,000 kW or more. In response to concerns expressed by Staff and competitive suppliers that Dominion's proposal lacked a specific pricing formula upon which a determination of whether the CRG Rates are just and reasonable, Dominion revised the CRG Rate Schedules to incorporate "the ratemaking formula, which will be applied consistently to develop the rates for customers served by portfolios comprised of PPAs." Dominion maintains that this approach allows it to "customize the supply and the resulting rates for the large customers this tariff is designed to serve." In order to address concerns about the "unique" features of the proposal, Dominion testified that, "if the CRG Rate Schedules are approved by the Commission, the Company would not oppose a condition in the final order to revisit the program three (3) years from the conclusion of the first CRG Rate Schedule enrollment period, at which time the Company would agree to return to the Commission with a further application to continue, modify, or terminate the CRG Rate Schedules."

Dominion also noted its plans to, "file continuous renewable generation rate schedules for residential and small commercial customers by the end of 2017. These rate schedules will allow residential and small commercial customers to purchase energy and capacity, in addition to the associated RECs, to meet 100 percent of their energy usage 100 percent of the time." Dominion also plans to file a Community Solar Pilot Program by early 2018.

The full text of Dominion's Rebuttal Testimony is available on the NEM Website.