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Home My WebLink AboutRD.12 ASU LightWorks ASU LightWorks® Arizona State University PO Box 878204 Tempe, AZ 85287- 8204 asulightworks.com Facebook.com/asulightworks Date: December 12, 2023 From: Arizona State University Professors Kit Batten of the Just Energy Transition (JET) Center and Nate Johnson of the Laboratory for Energy and Power Solutions (LEAPS) at ASU To: Mr. Douglass Adams, Director of Research and Development, County of Hawai’i, 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 1301, Hilo, Hawai’i 96720 Re: Statement of Qualifications to County of Hawai’i for energy-related activities before the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, RD3, RD5, and RD 12, Community Planning, General Engineering (Energy), Operation Research Key Statement of Qualifications information as required in the call for SOQs: (1) Name of the firm or person, contact information including email address, the principal place of business, and location of all of its offices: Arizona State University Just Energy Transition (JET) Center LightWorks 21 E. 6th St. Tempe, AZ 85281 Contact information: Dr. Kit Batten and Karen Loschiavo Just Energy Transition (JET) Center Kit.batten@asu.edu kloschia@asu.edu LightWorks 21 E. 6th St. Tempe, AZ 85281 (2) Age of the firm and its average number of employees over the past five years: Arizona State University was founded in 1885. The average number of employees over the last five years was approximately 15,000. The JET center was founded in 2019. The average number of employees over the last five years was three, with the current number of employees and students at six people. (3) The education, training, and qualifications of the individual, firm, or its key employees in accordance with HRS 103D-304 and or the professional and scientific occupation series contained in the United States Office of Personnel Management’s Qualifications Standards Handbook. Please see Number 1 under “Requirements of SOQ” below. (4) A List of recent projects and names of up to five clients who may be contacted, including at least two for who services were rendered during the preceding year. Arizona State University appreciates the opportunity to submit this supplementary Statement of Qualifications to continue providing energy policy, legal and technical services to the County of Hawai’i ASU LightWorks® Arizona State University PO Box 878204 Tempe, AZ 85287- 8204 asulightworks.com Facebook.com/asulightworks as it seeks to lower rates and maximize energy options for the residents of Hawaii Island. Over the past eight years, ASU has been honored to provide support to COH in multiple dockets before the Hawai’i Public Utility Commission. A list of recent projects and clients we have been privileged to work with includes: • County of Hawai’i, research support and council on their work in pivotal dockets at the Hawai’i Public Utilities Commission (HPUC). Contact Riley Saito at Riley.Saito@hawaiicounty.gov • US Economic Development Administration (US EDA), funder of the JET Center’s work with northern Arizona coal-impacted communities. Contact LaTarche Collins, lcollins@eda.gov. • The Energy Foundation, funder of the JET Center’s work helping a coal-impacted school district in northern Arizona intervene in the Arizona Public Service Company rate case before the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) seeking transition funding to support the district for 10 years after plant closure. Contact: Ken Clark, Ken@seva.llc • The Navajo Nation Office of the President, Supported the Navajo Nation negotiation with Arizona Public Service Company to secure transition funding and other provisions as the result of coal plant closure. The resulting settlement included more than $100 million in cash and support. Contact Bidtah Becker, bidtahnbecker@navajo-nsn.gov. • Joseph City School District, Arizona, work with the unincorporated community on economic analysis on the effects of coal plant closure on the community, supporting visioning session to determine a new economic future, meeting with community members on opportunities for repurposing the coal plant and other economic development opportunities. Contact Bryan Fields, bryanf@jcusd.org • St. Johns, Arizona, work with the community on economic analysis on the effects of coal plant closure on the community and meeting with community members on opportunities for repurposing the coal plant and other economic development opportunities. Contact Chris Chiesl, cchiesl@stjohnsaz.gov Requirements of SOQ: 1. Experience and professional qualifications of your firm and/or any partners relevant to PUC docket proceedings and to energy policy in Hawai’i. ASU has a deep bench of expertise in the areas of distributed generation, microgrids, energy efficiency, clean-energy and climate resilience policy development and implementation, and working with disadvantaged communities on the clean energy transition. Experts include: • Dr. Kit Batten, Professor of Practice in the ASU College of Global Futures School of Sustainability, Senior Fellow, JET Center: Kit Batten is a recognized expert in climate change policy and international development with twenty years of sustainability leadership in governments, companies, NGOs, and universities. Dr. Batten is a Professor of Practice and a Senior Global Futures Scientist in the College of Global Futures. Dr. Batten has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Oberlin College and master’s and doctoral degrees in ecology from U.C. Davis. In addition to her roles at Arizona State University, Dr. Batten runs a climate change and sustainability consulting practice. She also serves on the board of Unite Oregon, a non-profit organization led by people of color, immigrants and refugees, rural communities, and people ASU LightWorks® Arizona State University PO Box 878204 Tempe, AZ 85287- 8204 asulightworks.com Facebook.com/asulightworks experiencing poverty that is dedicated to working across Oregon to build a unified intercultural movement for justice. In previous roles, Dr. Batten led a company-wide initiative to increase the climate resilience of Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E’s) operations, infrastructure, and customers. Dr. Batten also served as a political appointee in the Obama Administration, as the Global Climate Change Coordinator at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where she led the agency’s efforts to implement climate-resilient, low-carbon sustainable development programs in more than 40 countries, and as science advisor to the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. She also held positions in the offices of Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Joe Lieberman, U.C. Davis, and Center for American Progress. • Karen Loschiavo, Program Manager, JET Center: Karen is an alumni of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU, a degree which propelled her towards a career in marketing and communications for local political campaigns with a slight detour as a project manager for the family software business. After teaching herself to build websites, Karen started her own marketing firm in 2020 to build websites and communications strategies for political campaigns and small businesses. She joined JET in 2023 to allow her to pursue her passion for building an equitable future as we face the impacts climate crisis. She's an avid hiker and is happiest spending time in Arizona's deserts. She is adamant about conservation and influencing others to see the climate crisis for what is an opportunity to build a better future and a better way of doing things where everyone and everything can thrive. • Mokshda Kaul, Research Associate, JET Center and Ph.D. Student in the School of Sustainability: Trained as an economist, Mokshda received her master’s and bachelor’s degree in economics from Mumbai University in India. Currently, she is a PhD candidate in the PhD in Sustainable Energy program at the School of Sustainability. While her motivating research question relates to understanding the process of policy design, the mainstay of her research interests lies in the justice and equity implications of the clean energy transition. Prior to her PhD she spent two years working with an energy policy think tank in India, on issues related to consumer advocacy, regulatory governance and energy systems modelling. Currently her dissertation research focuses on how policies that are furthering the clean energy transition are addressing energy and environmental justice. At the JET Center, she is furthering this research interest by working on projects that deal with the deployment of clean energy in coal-impacted communities. • Nathan Johnson, Associate Professor in The Polytechnic School of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering; Director of the Laboratory for Energy and Power Solutions: mechanical and electrical engineer; business development for Fortune 100 companies in energy technologies for emerging markets; designs, prototypes, tests, and pilots distributed generation and microgrid solutions for on-grid and off-grid markets; training and workforce development for energy professionals. ASU LightWorks® Arizona State University PO Box 878204 Tempe, AZ 85287- 8204 asulightworks.com Facebook.com/asulightworks • Mac Wodicker, Electrical Engineer in The Polytechnic School of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering: Experience in microgrid policy, business models, operation, and design, utility policy and regulation, and power system design and reliability studies. 2. Past and/or present work of a similar nature. ASU was proud in 2023 to assist the County of Hawai’i in its successful interventions in the Hawai’i Public Utility Commission (HPUC)’s multi-year Performance Based Regulation (PBR), Integrated Grid Planning (IGP), and the Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) for the Hawaii Gas Company, among others. ASU’s JET Center would very much appreciate the ability to continue to act as a consultant to the County on energy policy matters. In 2024, at a minimum, we would anticipate assisting the County in the dockets described in #3 below as the County continues its work as an effective proponent for Hawaii ratepayers and for the realization of the state’s ambitions clean energy goals. 3. Capacity to support COH in 2024 for up to five years • Docket # 2018-0088 (Performance Based Regulation (PBR)) – County is an Intervenor o The PBR docket was very active in 2023, with ASU supporting the County in working groups on further developing Performance Incentive Mechanisms (PIMs), developing pilot projects that the Hawaii Electric Companies (HECO) put forth, process issues related to the next stage of the docket, and monitoring for any other relevant issues for the County. In 2024, work will continue as HECO continues work under the Workplan, develops a new stage of working groups, consults with stakeholders, and issues information about the pilot projects HECO intends to pursue. Similarly, the PIMs work is ongoing. • Docket # 2018-0165 (Integrated Grid Planning (IGP)) – County is an Intervenor o Likewise, the IGP docket was active in 2023, with ASU supporting the County in drafting briefs and comments for COH in this docket, attending workshops and working groups where assigned, as well as providing expert testimony if needed. This work will continue in 2024 as HECO implements its workplan. • Docket # 2022-0009 (Hawaii Gas Integrated Resource Planning (IRP)) – County is an Intervenor o The Hawaii Gas IRP docket was filed in 2022, and ASU began monitoring it shortly after it was opened at the County’s request. ASU has attended all advisory group meetings, participated in the development of the IRP, and drafted comments and/or notes regarding the County’s concerns. In 2024, as the Action Plan is implemented, ASU anticipates continuing to draft briefs and comments for COH in this docket, attending workshops and working groups where assigned, as well as providing expert testimony if needed. • Docket # 2018-0163 (Microgrid) – County is monitoring this docket ASU LightWorks® Arizona State University PO Box 878204 Tempe, AZ 85287- 8204 asulightworks.com Facebook.com/asulightworks o This docket has been less active. ASU is continuing to monitor the docket for any updates and opportunities where the County might like to submit public comments. • Docket # 2019-0333 (Power Purchase Agreement for Puna Geothermal Venture) – County is monitoring this docket o This docket has been active during 2023 with progress on the environmental impact statement and the second amendment to the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). ASU has continued to monitor and provide reports and insight when filings have been made in this docket. ASU anticipates further similar action in 2024. • Docket # 2017-0352 (Competitive Bidding) – County is monitoring this docket o This docket has been moderately active in 2023, and ASU anticipates continuing to monitor this docket for COH in 2024. • Docket # 2015-0229 (For Approval to Construct an Overhead 69kV Transmission Line Extension Pursuant to HRS Sections 269-27.5 and 269.27.6(a), for Item H0003082, Ocean View Substation 69kV Line Extension; Status Update) – County is monitoring this docket o COH first asked ASU to monitor this docket in late 2023. Only one filing was made under this docket in the latter part of 2023, indicating this docket was not impacted by the Maui wildfires. ASU anticipates continuing to monitor this docket for COH in 2024. Again, ASU’s JET Center is grateful for the opportunity to continue to assist the County and we would look forward to a continued successful partnership in service of County’s objectives. Sincerely, Kit Batten, Ph.D. Professor of Practice Senior Global Futures Scientist, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory Senior Fellow, ASU Just Energy Transition (JET) Center ASU College of Global Futures