Statement: June 18, 2009	View Printable PDF Version

Commissioner Spitzer's statement on Demand Response Report

"Pursuant to a Congressional directive, the Commission's staff has prepared this report to assess the potential for demand response on a state-by-state basis. In addition, the staff report identifies barriers to achieving demand response potential.

I find the staff report provides useful information for the Commission to consider as we continue with the effort to establish rules that ensure comparable treatment of all types of resources.

It is worth noting that the conclusions of the staff report are estimates of potential levels of demand response that may occur under certain scenarios, rather than projections of what is likely to occur. In addition, this staff report neither advocates the programs or measures that regulators should adopt nor should staff's conclusion be interpreted as advocating or mandating any targets, goals or requirements for states or utilities.

Instead, staff's report can serve as a helpful reference for this Commission as well as the states to understand the various paths regulators may take to foster comparable treatment of demand response resources in our markets. In addition, as staff noted, the Commission is making available to the public the inputs, assumptions, calculations, and output in one transparent spreadsheet model so that states and others can update or modify the data and assumptions to better estimate demand response.

I continue to support the development of demand response resources as an important part of the mix of resources and transmission projects that we must develop to ensure consumers have adequate supplies of power at just and reasonable rates. I look forward to working with my colleagues, the Commission staff, and interested stakeholders as we take the next steps."

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