WECC and CleanCounts (f/k/a M-RETS) have an agreement under which CleanCounts currently provides software services to support WREGIS, the web-based tracking system for renewable energy certificates (RECs), predominantly in the West. As we informed stakeholders on May 1, this agreement ends on December 31, 2027, and CleanCounts has opted not to extend the agreement beyond this date.
The expiration of the current software agreement with CleanCounts has created an opportunity to consider WREGIS’s future and how WREGIS can best meet the needs of its users and the programs it serves. To assist in determining the best path forward for WREGIS, WECC retained a consultant who has assisted us in conducting a thorough assessment of a variety of potential paths forward for WREGIS. The consultant offered an independent perspective on what is best for WREGIS and its many stakeholders.
At WECC’s June Board Meeting, recommendations were presented to WECC’s Board. Based upon those recommendations, the Board has instructed as follows:
- WECC will issue an RFP to third-party software developers for the development of custom software to meet the needs of WREGIS and its customers and stakeholders; and
- WECC will explore separation of WREGIS from WECC, establishing WREGIS as an independent company focused solely upon meeting the needs of its customers, stakeholders, and programs in the West.
There are a number of considerations that support the Board’s direction, primary among those are:
- No turnkey software solutions exist for WREGIS, and the complexity of customizing an existing product to meet the unique needs of WREGIS’s users presents excessive implementation risk, as we have experienced over the past two years; and
- Because WREGIS is WECC’s only non-statutory program, and because WECC is not a software development company, separating WREGIS from WECC will enable WREGIS to focus its efforts solely on providing software that meets the needs of its users, while also permitting WECC to focus on its statutorily delegated responsibilities.
This work will be completed by December 31, 2027 at the very latest to minimize disruption to WREGIS’s customers.
As we explore the separation of WREGIS from WECC, we will be reaching out to engage stakeholders over the next few months. We look forward to hearing from you as we pursue a unique solution that will allow WREGIS to continue to perform its vital role in the Western Interconnection.