Net Metering Policy Summary
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Net Metering Policy Summary State Authority Capacity Limits Carry‐over of Surcharge or Avoided Community Multiple Application NEG additional cost Cost or or virtual net accounts for connection Retail Rate metering (aggregate) for NEG Montana 69‐8‐601 50 kW Month‐to‐ No, prohibited in Retail No No IOUs that through month. Credit statute have 69‐8‐605, to utility at restructured MCA the end of in accordance the year with Title 69, chapter 8 Wyoming 37‐16‐ 25 kW Month‐to‐ No, prohibited in Month‐to‐ No No IOUs, electric 101 month. Credit statute month cooperatives, through to customer credited per and irrigation 37‐16‐ at the end of kWh at retail districts 104, WS the year rate*. Annually utility purchases at avoided‐cost rate Idaho Tariff 25 kW for Month‐to‐ $100 application Residential No May transfer IOUs have residential and month. fee. Net metering and small excess developed a (Idaho small Excess credits tariff — including commercial generation tariff to allow Power as commercial carry forward current rate customers, between net metering example. indefinitely structure and credited at meters that is Schedule 100 kW for until entirely interconnection retail rate. among approved by 84.) other rate used to offset requirements — Large customer the PUC classes consumption does not commercial accounts if represent and meters are Utility tariffs guarantee of agricultural on same limit to 0.1% in future pricing customers, primary baseline year credited at feeder, 85% located on avoided‐cost same rate contiguous property, and electricity is for customer Nevada NRS 1 MW Month‐to‐ For systems up to Either a No Hydro with a IOUs 704.766 – month or 25 kW, utility standard capacity up 704.775 Generation time of use. prohibited from rate to 1 MW capacity may Excess credits charging a fee schedule or a may offset not exceed the carry forward greater than time of use electricity on limit on indefinitely other customers rate multiple demand that until entirely in the same rate schedule contiguous the class of used to offset class. For systems properties customer may consumption greater than 25 Standard owned by place on the kW, utility may rate the utility's system require payment schedule customer or 100% of the accumulate for upgrades to customer's the utility's credits at a Wind annual system, excluding constant installed electricity standby charges level. Time of during 2012 requirements, required to make use are billed on property whichever is the customer's at different owned or greater system rates at leased by an compatible different institution of IOUs must times of the offer net day higher learning and metering until the aggregate used for If the utility capacity of all research and installs net‐metered workforce system, then systems in the training may the state equals 3% aggregate electricity is of the peak generated by capacity of all the utility utilities and is used to comply with the state's RPS. If the customer installs the system , the PUC issues credits 1 State Authority Capacity Limits Carry‐over of Surcharge or Avoided Community Multiple Application NEG additional cost Cost or or virtual net accounts for connection Retail Rate metering (aggregate) for NEG Colorado For IOUs, Month‐to‐ Standard IOU Yes. Yes. IOUs, CRS 40‐2‐ systems sized month. IOU application fee customers Solar gardens Customer cooperatives, 124 and up to 120% of customers between $100 credited at that generate must give 30 and CRS the customer's may make a 1 and $1,000, retail rate. no more than days’ notice, municipal 40‐9.5‐ annual average time election depending on size After 12‐ 2 MW and are and specify utilities 302(3) consumption to indefinitely of the system month cycle, located near the order in go month‐to customers a community which they For coops and month or be Fees can include may roll over with at least want kWh municipals, annually fees include, but credit 10 credits residential reimbursed. are not indefinitely subscribers to applied to systems up to limited to, service or receive the multiple 10 kW in Coops and and facility fee, payment at generating meters. All capacity and municipals general rate average facility affected commercial credited schedule hourly meters must and industrial month‐to‐ adjustment and incremental be on the systems up to month and renewable energy cost. same rate 25 kW annually standard schedule adjustment Coops and municipals credited at retail rate month‐to‐ month and annually at a rate determined by the utility North Tariff 100 kW Purchased by Utility may Avoided No No IOUs Dakota utility month‐ recover metering cost, similar (ND to‐month costs associated to QFs. Some Admin. with production utilities Code monitoring include a REC 69‐09‐ adder 07) Washington Chapter 100 kW Month‐to‐ No. Prohibited in Retail rate Yes. Yes. IOUs, 80.60 month. Credit statute. Community In a billing municipal RCW Cumulative to utility at solar projects month, after utilities, and capacity could the end of in 2005 that the primary cooperative not exceed the year are up to 75 meter’s utilities 0.25% of a kW in utility bill is utility’s peak capacity. offset, any demand during Individuals, excess 1996, but local credits are increased to government, credited 0.5% in 2014 and business equally to can the participate customer’s and facilities remaining can be locally meters for or utility the following owned month 2 Net Metering Summaries from the U.S. Department of Energy: Wyoming http://energy.gov/savings/net‐metering‐40 Under Wyoming’s net‐metering law, investor‐owned utilities, electric cooperatives, and irrigation districts must offer customers with bi‐ directional electric meters the option to net meter. Net excess generation (NEG) produced by the customer is carried forward on a monthly basis. At the end of a 12‐month period, payment for NEG is reconciled with the customer at an agreed rate. Under the net‐metering law, eligible technologies systems include photovoltaics, wind, hydroelectric, and biomass systems up to 25 kW in size. When production exceeds the customer’s needs over a month period, they are credited per kWh of NEG at their retail rate*. At the end of a 12‐ month cycle, the utility will purchase any unused renewable energy credits for NEG at the utility's avoided‐cost rate. Under the law, utilities may not charge customers’ fees in addition to minimum monthly charges that apply to other utility customers in similar rate classes. *The PSC has given utilities the freedom to apply rates other than the retail rate to monthly NEG. For instance, the Wyrulec Co. approved by the PSC in April 2008 applies the avoided‐cost rate to monthly NEG to arrive at a monetary credit that is applied to the customer's next bill. Other utilities such as Rocky Mountain Power credit monthly NEG as a kWh credit, or full retail rate. Systems must meet NEC, IEEE and UL technical standards. In addition, system owners must install a manual, lockable external disconnect switch and are responsible for all costs related to any modifications to the systems that may be required by the electric utility for purposes of safety and reliability. The Wyoming Public Service Commission (PSC) is authorized to adopt additional control and testing requirements necessary to protect public safety and system reliability. Idaho http://energy.gov/savings/idaho‐power‐net‐metering Idaho does not have a statewide net‐metering policy. However, each of the state's three investor‐owned utilities ‐‐ Avista Utilities, Idaho Power and Rocky Mountain Power ‐‐ has developed a net‐metering tariff that has been approved by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The framework of the utilities' net‐metering programs is similar in that each utility: offers net metering to customers that generate electricity using solar, wind, hydropower, biomass or fuel cells; limits residential systems to 25 kW; limits aggregate net‐metered capacity to 0.1% of the utility's peak demand in a baseline year (2000 for Idaho Power); and restricts any single customer from generating more than 20% of the aggregate capacity of all net‐metered systems. For residential and small commercial customers, NEG is credited at Idaho Power's retail rate and carried forward to the next month. For large commercial and agricultural customers, NEG is credited at 85% of the utility's avoided‐cost rate and carried forward to the next month. Under Idaho Power's net‐metering tariff, the customer is responsible for "all costs associated with any [utility] additions, modifications, or upgrades to any [utility] facilities that the [utility] determines are necessary as a result of the installation of the [generator] in order to maintain a safe, reliable electrical system." Nevada http://energy.gov/savings/net‐metering‐22 Nevada's original net‐metering law was enacted in 1997. It has been amended several times. Systems up to 1 MW in capacity that generate electricity using solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and certain types of hydropower are allowed. Systems greater than 100 kW in capacity may be subject to certain costs at the utility's discretion. A system is not eligible for net metering if its generating capacity exceeds the greater of the limit on demand that the class of customer of the customer‐generator may place on the utility's system or 100% of the customer's annual electricity requirements. Each IOU operating in Nevada offers net metering until the aggregate capacity of all net‐metered systems in the state equals 3% of the peak capacity of all utilities operating in the state. For net‐metered systems up to 25 kW, utilities must offer the customer‐generator a meter capable of registering the flow of electricity in two directions.