EQC Meeting Date: July 17th, 2024
To: Environmental Quality Commission
From: Risi Karim, Assistant to the City Administrator
Title
2023 Community Data Dashboard
Body
Action Requested:
Commission receives Xcel Energy Year-End Program Summary report from Partners in Energy (PiE) regarding a 2023 Community Data Dashboard
Summary Report:
2023 Northfield Partners in Energy Data Dashboard is now complete and attached.
Here are a few things of note on the dashboard (attached):
In the past, a large energy user in Northfield signed a data waiver so that energy data that would have been excluded under Xcel Energy’s privacy rules was included in past dashboards. When the data waiver expired at the end of 2023, the customer did not extend the waiver. As a result, their current and historical energy consumption data is no longer included in Partners in Energy data reports. In practice, this means that reported natural gas consumption data in Northfield’s dashboard is lower compared to previous dashboards but this change is not due to an actual decrease in consumption.
Renewable Energy Participation
During 2023, the Windsource program was converted to Renewable*Connect Flex. The new program added in new wind and solar resources to the program’s mix. Customers in the program were automatically transferred to the new Renewable*Connect Flex program unless they wished to opt out. The Renewable*Connect program remained unchanged.
Some community decreases in Renewable*Connect Flex subscriptions may be attributable to customers shifting to participation in other renewable energy programs, such as on-site solar, and also because of some Xcel Energy Renewable*Connect Flex enrollment issues during the transition period.
Renewable Energy Participation Count
You may notice a difference in your historical renewable energy program participation counts compared to prior dashboards. This is due to an update in the participation calculation in 2023. The participation counts on your dashboard now represent the number of unique premises participating in a renewable energy program annually, while previously, it was the average monthly participation count.
Data Privacy Changes
Starting in 2023, Minnesota utility data privacy standards were updated, and Partners in Energy data reports comply with these new standards, across all years in the data. As a result, your community will see a change in electricity and/or natural gas consumption on this dashboard compared to previous dashboards.
The new privacy standard is broader, as it has changed from 15x15 to 4x50. This means that additional consumption data is being included in these reports moving forward, for all years presented. DSM and Renewables data are unchanged and consistent with previous reports, because the standard only applies to consumption data.
Alternative Options:
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Financial Impacts:
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Tentative Timelines:
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