OAR 330-140-0140: Administrative Cost Recovery

(1) The costs of administering the self-direct program shall be paid out of the funds collected through the public purpose charge and amounts charged in rates pursuant to ORS 757.054(4), and directed to the Oregon Department of Energy as the state agency administering the program. The Oregon Department of Energy shall collect fees from eligible self-directing consumers at the time they submit applications for the following: pre-certification of cost-effective energy efficiency projects, pre-certification of new renewable energy resource purchases, pre-certification of investments in distribution system-connected technologies, and certification of qualified expenditure for renewable energy certificates or Green Tags. Applications will not be considered complete until payment of fees is received by the Oregon Department of Energy. The fee shall be a fixed percentage of: the estimated project costs for cost-effective energy efficiency projects, the estimated project costs for investments in distribution system-connected technologies, the estimated above-market costs for new renewable energy resource purchases, or the actual contract cost for renewable energy certificates or Green Tags. (2) The Oregon Department of Energy shall periodically review the actual and anticipated costs of administering the self-direct program, including all direct and indirect costs, as well as the actual and anticipated sum of fees collected under the program. The Oregon Department of Energy may revise the fee percentage as needed to ensure full recovery of self-direct program administration costs. The fixed percentage fee shall not exceed four percent of: the estimated project costs for cost-effective energy efficiency projects, estimated project costs for investments in distribution system-connected technologies, the estimated above market costs for new renewable energy resource purchases, or the actual contract cost for renewable energy certificates or Green Tags. Fees paid by eligible self-directing consumers are eligible costs to be included in final certificates of qualified expenditures.