Windmill farm in Bradford County, PA. Photo Credit: Don Biresch
Client: MAREC Action
Author: Liz Stanton, PhD
July 2020
On behalf of the MAREC Action, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD provided Applied Economics Clinic expert testimony to Docket 20-3019522 before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. In her testimony, Dr. Stanton discussed the benefits of long-term contracts for renewables in the context of Duquesne Light’s Default Service Plan proposal. Dr. Stanton recommended that the Commission require Duquesne to issue a bundled renewables Request for Proposal, or require Duquesne to initiate a pilot program amounting to 10 percent or more of its total obligation. Lastly, Dr. Stanton recommended that, for optimal results for ratepayers, the Commission should direct Duquesne to collaborate with stakeholders to design a prudent mixture of resources to yield the benefits of long-term contracts for renewables. In response to several rebuttal testimonies, Dr. Stanton provided a surrebuttal testimony also on behalf of MAREC Action to provide additional information and updates relating to long-term renewable contracts.