APPENDIX C

Interview Guide

TCRP Synthesis Topic SA-60 Case Example Interview Guide

Thank you for agreeing to be a case example for TCRP synthesis topic SA-60 on the coordination between transit agencies and electric utilities as transit agencies adopt battery electric buses. This synthesis will document current practices by transit agencies to coordinate or partner with electric utilities as agencies plan for and deploy battery electric buses in revenue service.

We would like to showcase your agency and utility relationship as an example to other transit agencies on how to think about and approach their utility collaboration, what the possible models for collaboration are, and lessons learned from your experience.

We would like to conduct a 45-minute interview. The goals of the interview are to gather details about the collaboration efforts you have underway or that are in discussion and to hear about lessons learned for other agencies looking to collaborate with their utility(ies) on battery bus programs. This information will be used to develop one of several case examples for this report.

Please note that additional questions that build on the answers provided may be part of the interview. Feel free to indicate if you do not want to answer any questions asked during the interview, including any of these prepared questions.

Introduction

1. What are your titles and roles at your organizations?

Your Utility-Agency Collaboration Projects and Programs

2. Let’s talk about the types of engagement that you indicated in your survey response that you already have or are in discussion about under each of the three broad categories, below:
   • Capital Funding/Financing
   • Operational Financial Support
   • Planning Support and/or Grant Funding Support

   [I will read to you the items that were checked off as “established” or “in discussion” by the agency and we can discuss them one by one or in a group if they are related.]

2. For each of these can you provide more detail on what the policy/program is; the time frame for it (when it began, is it ongoing, is there an end date); what was the initial outreach between the agency and utility to start these collaborations; how it evolved and whether it required regulatory action or a specific regulatory framework; what level of ongoing and active collaboration it requires between transit agency and utility personnel; if there are other partners; any challenges you faced in the process; and the results that it has produced in the agency’s battery bus program and/or from the utility’s perspective (e.g., reduced energy demand, lower costs, shortened timelines, funding/grants, etc.)

   If you can share documentation on any of these projects or programs such as MOUs, grant application letters, regulatory rulings, etc., that would be great. If you have any documentation of quantifiable benefits, that would be helpful.

3. Are there any areas of collaboration that you do not have that you would like to, and why or why not? Are there barriers to establishing them?
4. How do you see the agency-utility collaboration evolving as the agency’s BEB program becomes more established?

Lessons Learned

5. What were the main challenges, if any, that each organization faced in implementing these collaborations? What would you do differently if you could go back?
6. What are your thoughts on how transit agencies and utilities that have not yet begun to collaborate on BEB programs or are in early stages should establish successful collaborations?
7. Do you think the collaboration efforts you have are applicable to agencies and utilities in other regulatory environments – either a regulatory environment impacting the agency plans or the regulatory and governance framework of the utility? Are there any other conditions for your collaboration that you think make any of them not readily transferable to another agency-utility BEB program?
8. Are there gaps in knowledge around agency-utility BEB collaboration that could benefit from additional research?
9. Any final thoughts on your collaboration that you want to share?