Martin R. Cohen
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Mr. Cohen founded Martin Roth Cohen and Associates in February, 2008. In his first case, he filed testimony on behalf of the Citizens Utility Board in Docket 07-0566, a ComEd rate proceeding before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), advocating creation of a smart grid collaborative to engage a broad spectrum of stakeholders in development of a specific set of policies, costs, and benefits. He made a similar recommendation in ICC Docket 07-0585, an Ameren-Illinois Utilities rate proceeding. Relying on Mr. Cohen’s testimony, the ICC ordered creation of the Illinois Statewide Smart Grid Collaborative (ISSGC). EnerNex Corporation was selected by the ICC to direct the ISSGC and Mr. Cohen was retained by EnerNex as lead facilitator of the process, which included more than 300 stakeholders. The 356-page ISSGC report was filed with the ICC in 2010. Mr. Cohen was selected by the ICC as Senior Consultant to the NextGrid Study in 2017/18, a collaborative effort to evaluate the utility of the future. In 2017 and 2019 he authored two papers on electric vehicle policy on behalf of the Citizens Utility Board (https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/abcs-of-evs/ and https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Charging-Ahead-Deriving-Value-from-Electric-Vehicles-for-All-Electricity-Customers-v6-031419.pdf).

Mr. Cohen's past work includes:

• Expert testimony on behalf of Commonwealth Edison in Docket 18-0843 regarding transmission line policy effects on consumers.
• Expert testimony on behalf of the Maine Office of Public Advocate in Dockets 2010-00267, 2013-00519 and 2016-00049 regarding the appointment of one or more Smart Grid Coordinators in Maine
• Expert testimony on behalf of NICOR Gas Co in Docket 15-0218 regarding gas main extension policy
• Expert testimony on behalf of the Citizens Utility Board in an Ameren Illinois rate proceeding, docket 13-0192, regarding a proposed Small Volume Transportation tariff
• Expert testimony on behalf of the Illinois Attorney General's office and the Citizens Utility Board in a Nicor Gas tariff proceeding, Docket 12-0569
• Expert testimony on behalf of RenewMissouri regarding a proposed solar energy facility in Missouri Case No. EA 2014-0136
• A report for the Michigan Environmental Council projecting the effect on electricity bills of an increase the state's Renewable Energy Standard to 25% x 2025 (see: http://environmentalcouncil.org/mecReports/25by2025-ImpactonUtilityRates.pdf),
• A report for Sierra Club and NRDC on the long-term net costs to customers of three proposed coal gasification plants (see: http://tenaskatax.com/docs/onhook.pdf), and
• Co-authoring a paper published in September 2011, on the implications for low-income consumers of prepayment for electricity services. (see: http://www.defgllc.com/content/Publications/reports.asp)
  
  • Mr. Cohen co-authored an 88-page paper for an international client, “Integrating Distributed Energy Resources into United States Energy Markets.” In 2010, he led an Adica-sponsored international smart grid training program in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
  
  • During 2009 and 2010, on behalf of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Mr. Cohen authored a series of papers detailing the economic opportunities in rural communities of renewable energy resource development in selected states. In addition, Mr. Cohen authored a study on behalf of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment of the projected long-term rate effect of a proposed state Renewable Energy Standard,  He has also conducted an organizational assessment workshop for a consumer advocacy agency in a western state, and consulted on the framing of energy efficiency retrofit planning for a large municipality.
  
  • As Director of Consumer Affairs in the Office of the Governor, Mr. Cohen helped establish the Illinois Power Agency (IPA) upon passage of its enabling legislation. He advised the IPA on the drafting of its initial annual Procurement Plan in 2008 and its subsequent plan in 2009, under which power and energy are purchased on behalf of eligible electricity customers of ComEd and the Ameren-Illinois Utilities.
  
  • In August, 2008, Mr. Cohen testified in Missouri Public Service Commission Docket ER-2008-0318 on behalf of the Attorney General of Missouri in an Ameren-UE rate proceeding regarding issues related to the proposed establishment of a fuel cost tracking mechanism.
  
  Consumer Advocacy
  
  Mr. Cohen has been a consumer advocacy leader for more than 33 years, serving as the Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) from 1991-2005, during which he led the organization through the restructuring of the Illinois electricity industry. He was instrumental in negotiating language of the Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Act of 1997, including its consumer protection and rate provisions and subsequent legislation, which reduced residential electricity rates by 20%. Mr. Cohen was CUB’s policy leader and testified on numerous occasions on regulatory policy issues before the Illinois General Assembly, the Illinois Commerce Commission, and Committees of the United States Congress. He supervised the work of economists and other expert witnesses as well as in-house and outside counsel in scores of utility regulatory proceedings. Mr. Cohen also served as an officer of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates. He served in Illinois government for two years, briefly as the appointed Chairman of th Illinois Commerce Commission and then as the Director of Consumer Affairs. In addition to energy issues expertise, Mr. Cohen has extensive experience with telecommunications regulatory policy and advocacy.