2018 -- H 7807

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LC004998

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Marshall, Cunha, Kennedy, and Costantino

     Date Introduced: February 28, 2018

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 39-1-27.7 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-1 entitled "Public

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Utilities Commission" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     39-1-27.7. System reliability and least-cost procurement.

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     Least-cost procurement shall comprise system reliability and energy efficiency and

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conservation procurement as provided for in this section and supply procurement as provided for

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in § 39-1-27.8, as complementary but distinct activities that have as common purpose meeting

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electrical and natural gas energy needs in Rhode Island, in a manner that is optimally cost-

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effective, reliable, prudent and environmentally responsible.

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     (a) The commission shall establish not later than June 1, 2008, standards for system

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reliability and energy efficiency and conservation procurement, which shall include standards and

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guidelines for:

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     (1) System reliability procurement, including but not limited to:

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     (i) Procurement of energy supply from diverse sources, including, but not limited to,

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renewable energy resources as defined in chapter 26 of this title;

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     (ii) Distributed generation, including, but not limited to, renewable energy resources and

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thermally leading combined heat and power systems, which is reliable and is cost-effective, with

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measurable, net system benefits;

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     (iii) Demand response, including, but not limited to, distributed generation, back-up

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generation and on-demand usage reduction, which shall be designed to facilitate electric customer

 

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participation in regional demand response programs, including those administered by the

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independent service operator of New England ("ISO-NE") and/or are designed to provide local

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system reliability benefits through load control or using on-site generating capability;

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     (iv) To effectuate the purposes of this division, the commission may establish standards

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and/or rates (A) for qualifying distributed generation, demand response, and renewable energy

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resources; (B) for net-metering; (C) for back-up power and/or standby rates that reasonably

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facilitate the development of distributed generation; and (D) for such other matters as the

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commission may find necessary or appropriate.

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     (2) Least-cost procurement, which shall include procurement of energy efficiency and

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energy conservation measures that are prudent and reliable and when such measures are lower

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cost than acquisition of additional supply, including supply for periods of high demand.

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     (b) The standards and guidelines provided for by subsection (a) shall be subject to

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periodic review and as appropriate amendment by the commission, which review will be

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conducted not less frequently than every three (3) years after the adoption of the standards and

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guidelines.

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     (c) To implement the provisions of this section:

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     (1) The commissioner of the office of energy resources and the energy efficiency and

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resources management council, either or jointly or separately, shall provide the commission

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findings and recommendations with regard to system reliability and energy efficiency and

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conservation procurement on or before March 1, 2008, and triennially on or before March 1,

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thereafter through March 1, 2024. The report shall be made public and be posted electronically on

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the website to the office of energy resources.

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     (2) The commission shall issue standards not later than June 1, 2008, with regard to plans

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for system reliability and energy efficiency and conservation procurement, which standards may

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be amended or revised by the commission as necessary and/or appropriate.

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     (3) The energy efficiency and resources management council shall prepare by July 15,

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2008, a reliability and efficiency procurement opportunity report which shall identify

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opportunities to procure efficiency, distributed generation, demand response and renewables,

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which report shall be submitted to the electrical distribution company, the commission, the office

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of energy resources and the joint committee on energy.

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     (4) Each electrical and natural gas distribution company shall submit to the commission

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on or before September 1, 2008, and triennially on or before September 1, thereafter through

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September 1, 2024, a plan for system reliability and energy efficiency and conservation

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procurement. In developing the plan, the distribution company may seek the advice of the

 

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commissioner and the council. The plan shall include measurable goals and target percentages for

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each energy resource, pursuant to standards established by the commission, including efficiency,

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distributed generation, demand response, combined heat and power, and renewables. The plan

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shall be made public and be posted electronically on the website to the office of energy resources,

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and shall also be submitted to the general assembly.

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     (5) The commission shall issue an order approving all energy efficiency measures that are

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cost effective and lower cost than acquisition of additional supply, with regard to the plan from

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the electrical and natural gas distribution company, and reviewed and approved by the energy

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efficiency and resources management council, and any related annual plans, and shall approve a

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fully reconciling funding mechanism to fund investments in all efficiency measures that are cost

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effective and lower cost than acquisition of additional supply, not greater than sixty (60) days

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after it is filed with the commission.

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     (6) (i) Each electrical and natural gas distribution company shall provide a status report,

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which shall be public, on the implementation of least cost procurement on or before December

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15, 2008, and on or before February 1, 2009, to the commission, the division, the commissioner

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of the office of energy resources and the energy efficiency and resources management council

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which may provide the distribution company recommendations with regard to effective

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implementation of least cost procurement. The report shall include the targets for each energy

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resource included in the order approving the plan and the achieved percentage for energy

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resource, including the achieved percentages for efficiency, distributed generation, demand

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response, combined heat and power, and renewables as well as the current funding allocations for

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each eligible energy resource and the businesses and vendors in Rhode Island participating in the

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programs. The report shall be posted electronically on the website of the office of energy

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resources.

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     (ii) Beginning on November 1, 2012 or before, each electric distribution company shall

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support the installation and investment in clean and efficient combined heat and power

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installations at commercial, institutional, municipal, and industrial facilities. This support shall be

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documented annually in the electric distribution company's energy efficiency program plans. In

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order to effectuate this provision, the energy efficiency and resource management council shall

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seek input from the public, the gas and electric distribution company, the economic development

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corporation, and commercial and industrial users, and make recommendations regarding services

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to support the development of combined heat and power installations in the electric distribution

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company's annual and triennial energy efficiency program plans.

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     (iii) The energy efficiency annual plan shall include, but not be limited to, a plan for

 

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identifying and recruiting qualified combined heat and power projects, incentive levels, contract

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terms and guidelines, and achievable megawatt targets for investments in combined heat and

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power systems. In the development of the plan, the energy efficiency and resource management

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council and the electric distribution company shall factor into the combined heat and power plan

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and program, the following criteria: (A) Economic development benefits in Rhode Island,

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including direct and indirect job creation and retention from investments in combined heat and

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power systems; (B) Energy and cost savings for customers; (C) Energy supply costs; (D)

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Greenhouse gas emissions standards and air quality benefits; and (E) System reliability benefits.

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     (iv) The energy efficiency and resource management council shall conduct at least one

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public review meeting annually, to discuss and review the combined heat and power program,

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with at least seven (7) business day's notice, prior to the electric and gas distribution utility

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submitting the plan to the commission. The commission shall evaluate the submitted combined

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heat and power program as part of the annual energy efficiency plan. The commission shall issue

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an order approving the energy efficiency plan and programs within sixty (60) days of the filing.

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     (d) If the commission shall determine that the implementation of system reliability and

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energy efficiency and conservation procurement has caused or is likely to cause under or over-

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recovery of overhead and fixed costs of the company implementing said procurement, the

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commission may establish a mandatory rate adjustment clause for the company so affected in

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order to provide for full recovery of reasonable and prudent overhead and fixed costs.

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     (e) The commission shall conduct a contested case proceeding to establish a performance

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based incentive plan which allows for additional compensation for each electric distribution

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company and each company providing gas to end-users and/or retail customers based on the level

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of its success in mitigating the cost and variability of electric and gas services through

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procurement portfolios.

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     (f)(1) The office of energy resources shall conduct a study and analysis of the state

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energy efficiency programs that will examine implemented program and planned conservation

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measures and verify the claimed energy savings. In carrying out this study, the office shall

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include a representative sample of different customer classes and measures that have been and

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will be participating in the state energy efficiency programs. This study will include pre- and

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post-metering of selected planned energy efficiency measures.

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     (2) The office of energy resources shall consult with the electric and gas distribution

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company, energy efficiency resource management council and the following energy user

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representatives in the development of the request for proposal, in the development of evaluation

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methodologies and protocols and also during the course of the study:

 

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     (i) Large commercial and industrial energy users;

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     (ii) Small business energy users;

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     (iii) Residential energy users; and

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     (iv) Low-income energy users.

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     (3) The office of energy resources, in consultation with the electric and gas distribution

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company and representatives referenced in subsection (f)(2) of this section shall be authorized to

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hire an energy consulting company or firm to carry out the energy efficiency verification study.

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The costs associated with this study, including, but not limited to, those associated with the

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consultant or firm contract and reasonable administrative costs incurred by the office in the

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execution of this subsection, shall be recoverable through the system benefit charge subject to

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commission approval. Commission approval shall be granted within forty-five (45) days of

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receipt of such request from the office. The commission authorized funding shall be transferred

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from the electric and gas distribution utility to the office of energy resources upon request by the

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office and deposited in a restricted receipt account within the general fund. The restricted receipt

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account shall be exempt from the indirect cost recovery assessment under § 35-4-27.

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     (4) The office of energy resources shall submit a report based on the results of the study

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described in this subsection on or before April 30, 2019, to the governor, the president of the

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senate, and the speaker of the house. The office and its selected energy consulting company or

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firm shall host two (2) public presentations on the preliminary and final results of the study.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC004998

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

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     This act would require the office of energy resources to conduct a study to verify the

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energy savings measures from the state energy efficiency programs.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC004998

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