Approval of Load Management Standards Compliance Plans

The California Energy Commission has approved compliance plans submitted by five Large Community Choice Aggregators—3CE, CPSF, PCE, SVCE, and SDCP—under Title 20 of the California Code of Regulations, specifically sections 1621 through 1625, which establish the Load Management Standards. These standards require these entities to implement time-dependent electricity rates that encourage customers to shift energy use from high-cost, high-emission periods to lower-cost, lower-emission periods, thereby reducing overall electricity bills and environmental impact. Key obligations include offering marginal cost-based or cost-effective alternative rates to customers by July 1, 2027, assigning Rate Identification Numbers (RINs) to rate structures, and integrating these rates into the CEC’s MIDAS database. Additionally, all entities must participate in the joint development of a statewide RIN access tool and conduct public education initiatives to inform customers about the benefits of dynamic pricing. The compliance process is regulatory in nature, not a competitive procurement, with the CEC acting as the sole reviewer and approver based on alignment with state regulations and demonstration of good faith effort. Revised plans were submitted between August and September 2025, with a final deadline for the RIN tool plan extended to May 8, 2026. No contract value, payment terms, invoicing systems, or FAR-style clauses apply, as this is an administrative compliance determination under California law, not a federal acquisition. All submissions are made electronically through the CEC’s eFiling portal, and no physical delivery, packaging, or labeling requirements are involved. The entities are classified as Large CCAs under state regulation and are not designated as small businesses or subject to socioeconomic set-asides. SDCP’s delay in deploying dynamic rate pilots due to incumbent utility constraints was formally acknowledged, triggering a requirement to pursue alternative load flexibility measures. Approval is binary—either granted or conditionally denied—without price competition, trade-offs, or financial award mechanisms.