Review of Local Capacity Storage Requests for Western LA Basin
Synapse provided technical support including expert witness testimony concerning the results of Southern California Edison’s (SCE’s) Request for Offers for local capacity resources (LCR) in the Western LA Basin area. SCE’s procurement included energy storage resources at both the bulk, wholesale level (connected at 230 kV), and at a selection of locations on the distribution grid (on-site at small commercial and industrial buildings), including thermal storage procurement. Synapse reviewed the utility’s testimony submitted to the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC), in light of the 2012 Long-Term Procurement Plan decision on local capacity resource need in the LA Basin, as well as other filings and CPUC decisions concerning the type of resources required to be secured by SCE. Synapse also analyzed SCE’s optimization mechanism for choosing storage resources, with a focus on interconnection and tariff energy charge issues and the allocation of storage benefit across energy, capacity, and ancillary service markets. In testimony, Synapse supported the acquisition of a larger level of storage resources than selected by SCE, supported by evidence that the cost/benefit analyses of SCE indicated a net economic benefit for the system if greater levels of energy storage were procured.