2026 Claim Specification Update

High level overview

1. Priority Areas:

   • Validation improvements for SEM, dual baselines, and NMEC claims were highly upvoted and critical to better user workflow.

   • New field requests (e.g., Census Tract, ParticipantID) highlight a strong need for granularity in claims data reporting.

2. Clarity and Documentation:

   • A recurring theme across feedback is the demand for greater clarity in field definitions, rules, and specifications, especially related to IDSM fields and HTR flags.

3. Dashboards & Accessibility:

   • Requests emphasize aligning dashboard formulas, adding new data fields, and improving record-level download capabilities.

Goal: Focus on implementing critical validation rules, standardizing data fields, and improving clarity in claims documentation.

1. Not Yet Decided Tickets

• Claims IDSM Field Clarification:

  • Calls for clearer guidance on Claim.IDSM_DR and Claim.IDSM_DER fields that were added in the 2024 Claims Spec. Users are unclear about what to report.

2. Adding New Fields to Enhance Data Reporting

Claim table

• Add ParticipantID to Claim Table:

  • Suggests introducing a ParticipantID field for SEM programs to enable tracking of multi-year claims across participants. Improves longitudinal data linkage.

• Add Flags for MasterMeter

  • Proposed ElectricMasterMeter and GasMasterMeter flags for distiguishing master metered multifamily residences.

Measure table

• Add new fields: UnitTaxCredits (numeric) and FuelID (text):

  • Add FuelID for identifying fuel substitution measures and UnitTaxCredits to account for IRA tax incentives in cost-benefit analysis.

  • Brings the claim measure table into alignment with the current CET v25.1 and budget filing measure table

PII Site table

• Add Company Name

  • Recommends adding a Business Name field for better evaluator data collection. Addresses discrepancies between account names and actual business names.

• Add Census Tract

  • Proposes adding a location-based Census Tract field to support internal geospatial analysis, enabling better program impact assessments by the CPUC.

New program participants table

• Add fields to track participant type and number of participants:

  • Calls for standardized fields to capture participant type and count, enabling detailed claims data analysis.

3. Claims Validation Rule Updates

• Claim.HTR Flag Combinations and Documentation:

  • Complex flag combination rules proposed for Hard-to-Reach (HTR) claims. Suggests updates to documentation for clarity on flag definitions and use cases.

• Value List Validations / 2026 Claim Spec

  • Highlights a need to support prior year measure packages for deemed measures based on savings date fields. Suggests SavingsDate comparisons within CEDARS.

• DEER 2026: Structural Changes and New DEER Tables

  • Emphasizes updates to DEER value lists and fields in CEDARS. Suggests potential validation adjustments for structural alignment with 2026 standards.

• Claims Validation: SEM Phase and Measure Impact Type:

  • Adding validation rules for SEM claims to improve error reduction during submission, not during review. Ensures clarity on SEMPhase and MeasImpactType fields.

  • Significant for reducing rework and increasing submission efficiency.

• New Validation for Dual Baseline Measures:

  • Addresses issues of missing second baseline costs during reviews. Enforces that populated second baseline savings must also include nonzero costs, ensuring data completeness.

  • Focused on improving data requirements for dual baseline claims.

4. Improving Dashboards and Data Accessibility

• Claims Update: TRC, PAC, RIM Formulas in Dashboards:

  • Proposes aligning dashboard formulas with updated CET calculations for 2024 and 2026, ensuring accurate program reporting and goals research.

• Claims – Add SCT Base and High to Dashboards:

  • Suggests adding new SCT data fields to dashboards for greater visibility into program performance metrics.

• Claims – Add All New CET Outputs to Downloads:

  • Recommends including several new CET output fields in statewide record-level downloads for CPUC analysis. Helps streamline claims data accessibility.

• Add output for Claims Using Custom Impact Profiles/Avoided Costs:

  • Proposed output for identifying claims with custom profiles. Reduces manual input requirements from Program Administrators (PAs).