| Chapter 315 |
| 2021 -- S 0022 Enacted 07/09/2021 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- NET METERING |
Introduced By: Senator V. Susan Sosnowski |
| Date Introduced: January 19, 2021 |
| 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 Utility District doing business as Block Island |
| Power Company and the Pascoag Utility District shall not exceed three percent (3%) a maximum |
| percentage of peak load for each utility district as set by the utility district based on its operational |
| characteristics, subject to commission approval; 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 any net-metering financing arrangement involving public entity facilities, |
| multi-municipal collaborative facilities, educational institutions, the federal government, |
| hospitals, or nonprofits. By June 30, 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 kwKW) |
| 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 subsection (a)(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) (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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| LC000421 |
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