925.954.7363 hello@tierrarc.com

Strategy

Define the Need

get in touch

Find out More

Tierra’s integrative approach to planning aligns organizational, regulatory, technology, infrastructure and customer needs to define and achieve impactful goals.

Strategic Planning

Tierra’s strategic planning services helps clients align their internal goals and objectives with a variety of externalities including changing market trends, competing stakeholder needs, rapidly changing technology innovations, and demanding regulatory requirements. Our services address multiple strategic planning needs including high level corporate goals, DSM strategy, portfolio and program design, portfolio optimization, and regulatory support. 

    Portfolio Optimization

    Tierra helps utility clients optimize their demand and supply side portfolio performance by aligning the design with the organization’s regulatory, equity, operational, financial, and decarbonization goals. These key performance indicators (KPIs) could include program incentives, cost-effectiveness, portfolio savings, carbon reductions, and any other goal your portfolio needs to achieve. Our approach includes establishing a comprehensive set of KPIs, quantifying your portfolio’s current performance in terms of those KPIs, benchmarking portfolio performance with industry peers and best practices, and establishing a framework that allows you to align and optimize future performance with your portfolio goals and objectives.   

    Click here to see how we’ve worked with Seattle City Light to assess how their energy efficiency program portfolio fits within the context of today’s market needs. 

      Portfolio Evolution

      The market for energy demand and supply solution is continually changing, and the pace of change is accelerating. Our DSM, DER and electrification strategic advising services help our clients to build or evolve their DSM portfolio by examining each program and the portfolio as a whole within the context of the client’s resource needs, strategic objectives, and customer expectations. Clients can then prioritize current programs and consider them in the context of new and emerging technology options including load shifting, demand response, and strategic load growth. Our approach to demand-side and distributed energy resource portfolio planning typically begins with assessing the role of demand-side and distributed energy resources in the client’s integrated resource plan. From this foundation understanding, we consider a range of planning options including opportunities for improving the resource value of energy efficiency investments, promoting strategic electrification, and identifying effective pathways for the deployment of rapidly evolving grid interactive and energy storage technologies. We are adept and assisting with the development of strategic initiatives in the context of regulatory requirements and business directives. 

      Click here to see how we’ve worked with APS to address their summer peak challenges.  

        Regulatory Support

        Tierra’s senior staff have decades of experience helping and advising our clients with regulatory filings, tasks, orders, and meetings to ensure they maximize the likelihood of successfully accomplishing their strategic objectives while addressing statutory regulatory requirements and accommodating shifting political considerations. Tierra’s regulatory support services include preparing DSM implementation plans, compliance reports, and other regulatory filings; assisting in rate design and developing tariff language; consensus building and conducting stakeholder engagements; preparing strategic messaging; making regulatory presentations and providing expert testimony.   

          Recent Tierra Strategy Projects

          Grid-Interactive Heat Pump Water Heating Pilot Program

          Grid-Interactive Heat Pump Water Heating Pilot Program

          Challenge: Sonoma Clean Power (SCP), a community choice aggregator (CCA) in California, wanted to develop a grid-interactive heat pump water heater pilot program for residential customers. Research was needed to define what products were available within SCP’s service...

          read more
          Demand Side Management (DSM) Portfolio Optimization Study

          Demand Side Management (DSM) Portfolio Optimization Study

          Challenge: Seattle City Light’s (SCL) successful portfolio of conservation initiatives continue to operate in an environment of evolving economics, environmental policy, technological enhancements, health and safety mandates, and social equity goals. Accordingly, an...

          read more
          Distributed Energy Resource Executive Workshops

          Distributed Energy Resource Executive Workshops

          Challenge: As a follow-up to Tierra’s work with a Canadian utility in 2019 to develop a comprehensive integrated distributed energy resource (DERs) strategy and implementation roadmap, Tierra re-engaged with the same utility in 2021 when they asked for assistance...

          read more
          Online Energy Estimator Tool

          Online Energy Estimator Tool

          Challenge: With over half of its 1.1 million residential customers on innovative Time-of-Use (TOU) rates, APS continuously looks to support its customers with tools and resources that allow them to save and manage their energy costs and to better understand the...

          read more
          Evaluation of California Non-Resource Programs

          Evaluation of California Non-Resource Programs

          Challenge: State-funded energy efficiency programs in California are divided into two types: resource programs that lead directly to quantifiable energy and demand savings, and non-resource programs that may lead to savings, but are primarily designed for other...

          read more
          EmPOWER Maryland Independent Evaluator

          EmPOWER Maryland Independent Evaluator

          Challenge: The Maryland Public Service Commission oversees the statewide evaluation of the EmPOWER Maryland Residential and Commercial energy efficiency programs for the five largest Maryland electric utilities and one gas utility.  As a sub-contractor to Loper Energy...

          read more

          Our experience has taught us that every solution needs to be customized for a client’s specific climate change goals, building stock, political & regulatory environment, and utility grid needs & objectives.

          Start Your Project With Us

          Not what you were looking for?

          Check out our other service sectors

          Research

          Inform the Approach

           

          Delivery

          Implement the Solution

           

          Evaluation

          Measure and Adjust

           

          Sustainability

          Shape the Future

           

          Tierra’s principal staff members have been at the leading-edge of the energy efficiency, renewable energy, and distributed energy resources industry for the last three decades.

          Over their extensive careers, our senior staff have served clients across the country including investor-owned and publicly-owned electric and gas utilities, municipal governments, government agencies, research institutions, and private sector firms. We conduct projects in virtually all customer sectors and end-use applications. 

          get to know our expert team