KMDR Research, Inc.
"A Think Tank on Poverty and the Public Utility"
KMDR Research, Inc.
c/o Kevin Monte de Ramos
105-454 Rue de La Gauchetiére Ouest
Montréal (Québec) H4Z 1A2
Telephone: (888) 563-7638
Fax: (514)879-9675
Email: KMONTE@kmdr.net
November 4, 2004
Le Secrétaire
Régie de l’énergie
800, place Victoria, bureau 255
Montréal (Québec) H4Z 1A2
Téléphone : (514) 873-2452 ou sans frais 1-888-873-2452
Télécopieur : (514) 873-2070
Courriel : greffe@regie-energie.qc.ca
RE: Request Status as Intervener or Expert Witness
Document (R-3552-2004)
Québec Hydro's Budget Request for PGEÉ 2005-2010
Dear Secretary:
KMDR Research is a consultancy focused on the development and assessment of utilitysponsored assistance programs and demand side management initiatives. Building on the
research for my book, Poverty and the Public Utility: building shareholder value through
low-income initiatives, KMDR Research has a fresh mandate to protect consumers, especially
those of modest means, from rising energy burdens. To this end, we provide technical
assistance and expert testimony to collaboratives developing, operating, monitoring, and
evaluating energy efficiency.
A review of the Plan Global d’Efficacité Énergétique (D-2003-110), the budget request for
2005-2010 (R-3552-2004), and our conversations with industry participants has encouraged
our application for intervention.
KMDR Research would like to introduce testimony and offer technical assistance to work
groups addressing the following topics.
Adverse effect on consumers of modest income. KMDR Research will introduce research
that suggests a uniform rate increase to support the PGEÉ would adversely impact
families struggling with utility service affordability.
Opportunities to maximize net societal impacts. KMDR Research will highlight
strategies that could be employed by Quebec Hydro to enhance program costeffectiveness, enhance the stream of societal benefits, and mitigate harm to
economically disadvantaged families.
Expand range of impacts under study. Currently, only a limited stream of benefits
have been introduced into the total resource cost test. KMDR Research will
introduce research suggesting the real benefits resulting from the planned energy
efficiency investments are understated in the current filings.
Energy savings may be overstated. Québec Hydro has selected a number of energy
efficiency measures that rely on customer behavioral modifications to realize energy
savings (e.g. programmable thermostats). KMDR Research believes the technical
savings potential may overstate achieved savings and therefore must be calibrated
with billing analysis. We will recommend evaluation planning be integrated within
the working group. By addressing evaluation data requirements early in the process,
the overall costs of program evaluation are substantially reduced and the ability to
verify achieved savings remain possible.
Energy efficiency treated as investments. KMDR Research will outline those
conditions whereby energy efficiency measures may have market transformational
effects that justify treatment as a utility infrastructure investments.
Should the Régie de l’énergie grant our status as an intervener, we would require one week
to prepare our testimony and just 45 minutes to read it into the record. NOTE:
KMDR Research may require translation services and additional time for interrogatories
submitted in French.
We appreciate the consideration you have demonstrated.
Sincerely,
Kevin Monte de Ramos,
President / Principal Researcher
KMDR Research, Inc.
Attached:
Author Profile
Book Flyer
cc:
Québec Hydro
List of Interveners (as of November 4th)