Clean Peak Standard (CPS)

Overview

The Massachusetts Clean Peak Energy Standard is designed to provide incentives to clean energy technologies that can supply electricity or reduce demand during seasonal peak demand periods established by DOER. The Actual Monthly System Peak is defined in the Clean Peak Energy Standard (CPS) as the highest net demand for electricity in a calendar month in the ISO-NE Control Area. The Hour of Actual Monthly System Peak is the hour in which that occurs. DOER utilizes that monthly ISO-NE reported peak to identify when the Actual Monthly System Peak Multiplier should modify the number of Clean Peak Energy Certificates generated by a Clean Peak Resource.

Eligibility

Four types of resources are eligible:

  1. New RPS Class I generation units in operation on or after 1/1/19
  2. Existing RPS Class I / Class II generation units (in operation prior to 1/1/19) that are paired with a Qualified Energy Storage System
  3. Qualified Energy Storage Systems operating to primarily store and discharge renewable energy and installed on or after 1/1/19
  4. Demand Response Resources, as defined by the Clean Peak Energy Standard

Registration

Systems must be registered with both NEPOOL GIS and PTS.

1. Register at NEPOOL GIS

All Clean Peak Resources must register to receive a NEPOOL GIS Clean Peak Energy Standard Identification Number. Clean Peak Resources are all included in the NEPOOL categories, but they are organized to accommodate the NEPOOL system, so it is important to understand what registration category your resource falls under prior to registration.

2. Register at PTS

All Clean Peak Resources must also register with the Massachusetts Production Tracking System (PTS). Existing resources may already be registered and can link their system information to the CPS Statement of Qualification Application (SQA). 

Special note on demand response resources, other than energy storage:

The MassCEC PTS registration platform is not yet ready to process non-energy storage demand response resources. These resources must apply directly with DOER by emailing doer.cps@mass.gov.  DOER provides these instructions for how to apply for CPS qualification for non-energy-storage demand response resources.

All other Clean Peak Resources can register with PTS now.

Reporting

All Clean Peak Resources must register to report performance data through the MassCEC-hosted reporting platform. A resource may self-report or utilize a data reporting service, but all reporting entities must complete the following steps to report resource performance that can then be processed for Clean Peak Energy Certificate (CPEC) calculation and consequent MassCEC reporting to NEPOOL GIS for CPEC minting.

  1. Sign up for an API (Developers) Key
  2. Notify PTS Customer Service that you have registered by emailing PTS@masscec.com with the Subject: "CPS API" and attach the completed DAS application
  3. Receive your organization API (Access) Key to the API Testing Environment from PTS Customer Service
  4. Successfully report sample data to the API Testing Environment
  5. Receive meter verification and approval to report from PTS Customer Service
  6. Begin reporting actual performance data for Clean Peak Resources

More Resources and Contacts