| Chapter 155 |
| 2017 -- H 5318 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 07/06/2017 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS - NET METERING |
| Introduced By: Representative J. Aaron Regunberg |
| Date Introduced: February 01, 2017 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 39-26.4-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-26.4 entitled "Net |
| Metering" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 39-26.4-3. Net metering. |
| (a) The following policies regarding net metering of electricity from eligible net-metering |
| systems and community remote-net-metering systems and regarding any person that is a |
| renewable self-generator shall apply: |
| (1) (i) The maximum, allowable capacity for eligible net-metering systems, based on |
| nameplate capacity, shall be ten megawatts (10 MW), effective sixty (60) days after passage. The |
| aggregate amount of net metering in the Block Island Power Company and the Pascoag Utility |
| District shall not exceed three percent (3%) of peak load for each utility district; and |
| (ii) Through December 31, 2018, the maximum, aggregate amount of community remote- |
| net-metering systems built shall be thirty megawatts (30 MW). Any of the unused MW amount |
| after December 31, 2018, shall remain available to community remote-net-metering systems until |
| the MW aggregate amount is interconnected. After December 31, 2018, the commission may |
| expand or modify the aggregate amount after a public hearing upon petition by the office of |
| energy resources. The commission shall determine within six (6) months of such petition being |
| docketed by the commission whether the benefits of the proposed expansion exceed the cost. This |
| aggregate amount shall not apply to public entity facilities or multi-municipal collaborative |
| facilities. By June 30, 2019 2018, the commission shall conduct a study examining the cost and |
| benefit to all customers of the inclusion of the distribution charge as a part of the net-metering |
| calculation. |
| (2) For ease of administering net-metered accounts and stabilizing net-metered account |
| bills, the electric-distribution company may elect (but is not required) to estimate for any twelve- |
| month (12) period: |
| (i) The production from the eligible net-metering system or community remote-net- |
| metering system; and |
| (ii) Aggregate consumption of the net-metered accounts at the eligible net-metering- |
| system site or the sum of the consumption of the eligible credit-recipient accounts associated with |
| the community remote-net-metering system, and establish a monthly billing plan that reflects the |
| expected credits that would be applied to the net-metered accounts over twelve (12) months. The |
| billing plan would be designed to even out monthly billings over twelve (12) months, regardless |
| of actual production and usage. If such election is made by the electric-distribution company, the |
| electric-distribution company would reconcile payments and credits under the billing plan to |
| actual production and consumption at the end of the twelve-month (12) period and apply any |
| credits or charges to the net-metered accounts for any positive or negative difference, as |
| applicable. Should there be a material change in circumstances at the eligible net-metering system |
| site or associated accounts during the twelve-month (12) period, the estimates and credits may be |
| adjusted by the electric-distribution company during the reconciliation period. The electric- |
| distribution company also may elect (but is not required) to issue checks to any net-metering |
| customer in lieu of billing credits or carry-forward credits or charges to the next billing period. |
| For residential-eligible net-metering systems and community-remote-net-metering systems |
| twenty-five kilowatts (25 kw) or smaller, the electric-distribution company, at its option, may |
| administer renewable net-metering credits month to month allowing unused credits to carry |
| forward into the following billing period. |
| (3) If the electricity generated by an eligible net-metering system or community remote- |
| net-metering system during a billing period is equal to, or less than, the net-metering customer's |
| usage at the eligible net-metering-system site or the sum of the usage of the eligible credit- |
| recipient accounts associated with the community remote-net-metering system during the billing |
| period, the customer shall receive renewable net-metering credits, that shall be applied to offset |
| the net-metering customer's usage on accounts at the eligible net-metering-system site, or shall be |
| used to credit the eligible credit-recipient's electric account. |
| (4) If the electricity generated by an eligible net-metering system or community remote- |
| net-metering system during a billing period is greater than the net-metering customer's usage on |
| accounts at the eligible net-metering-system site or the sum of the usage of the eligible credit- |
| recipient accounts associated with the community remote-net-metering system during the billing |
| period, the customer shall be paid by excess renewable net-metering credits for the excess |
| electricity generated up to an additional twenty-five percent (25%) beyond the net-metering |
| customer's usage at the eligible net-metering-system site, or the sum of the usage of the eligible |
| credit-recipient accounts associated with the community remote net-metering system during the |
| billing period; unless the electric-distribution company and net-metering customer have agreed to |
| a billing plan pursuant to subdivision (2). |
| (5) The rates applicable to any net-metered account shall be the same as those that apply |
| to the rate classification that would be applicable to such account in the absence of net-metering, |
| including customer and demand charges, and no other charges may be imposed to offset net- |
| metering credits. |
| (b) The commission shall exempt electric-distribution company customer accounts |
| associated with an eligible, net-metering system from back-up or standby rates commensurate |
| with the size of the eligible net-metering system, provided that any revenue shortfall caused by |
| any such exemption shall be fully recovered by the electric-distribution company through rates. |
| (c) Any prudent and reasonable costs incurred by the electric-distribution company |
| pursuant to achieving compliance with subsection (a) and the annual amount of any renewable |
| net-metering credits or excess, renewable net-metering credits provided to accounts associated |
| with eligible net-metering systems or community remote-net-metering systems, shall be |
| aggregated by the distribution company and billed to all distribution customers on an annual basis |
| through a uniform, per-kilowatt-hour (kwh) surcharge embedded in the distribution component of |
| the rates reflected on customer bills. |
| (d) The billing process set out in this section shall be applicable to electric-distribution |
| companies thirty (30) days after the enactment of this chapter. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC001145/SUB A |
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