2026 -- S 2658

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LC005349

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PORTABLE SOLAR

GENERATION DEVICE

     Introduced By: Senators de la Cruz, DiMario, Ciccone, Tikoian, Felag, Burke, and Euer

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2026

     Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Title 39 of the General Laws entitled "PUBLIC UTILITIES AND

CARRIERS" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

CHAPTER 36

PORTABLE SOLAR GENERATION DEVICE

     39-36-1. Definitions.

     When used in this chapter, these terms shall have the following meanings:

     (1) "Annualized billing period" means:

     (i) A twelve (12) month billing cycle beginning on April 1 of one year and ending on March

31 of the following year; or

     (ii) An additional twelve (12) month billing cycle as defined by an electrical corporation's

net metering tariff or rate schedule.

     (2) "Customer-generated electricity" means electricity that:

     (i) Is generated by a customer generation system for a customer participating in a net

metering program;

     (ii) Exceeds the electricity the customer needs for the customer's own use; and

     (iii) Is supplied to the electrical corporation administering the net metering program.

     (3) "Customer generation system" means:

     (i) An eligible facility that is used to supply energy to or for a specific customer that:

     (A) Has a generating capacity of:

     (I) More than one thousand two hundred watts (1,200 W) but not more than twenty-five

kilowatts (25 kW) for a residential facility; or

     (II) Not more than two megawatts (2 MW) for a non-residential facility, unless the

governing authority approves a greater generation capacity;

     (B) Is located on, or adjacent to, the premises of the electrical corporation's customer,

subject to the electrical corporation's service requirements;

     (C) Operates in parallel and is interconnected with the electrical corporation's distribution

facilities;

     (D) Is intended primarily to offset part or all of the customer's requirements for electricity;

and

     (E) Is controlled by an inverter;

     (ii) Includes an electric generator and its accompanying equipment package; and

     (iii) Does not include a portable solar generation device.

     (4) "Eligible facility" means a facility that uses energy derived from one of the following

to generate electricity:

     (i) Solar photovoltaic and solar thermal energy;

     (ii) Wind energy;

     (iii) Hydrogen;

     (iv) Organic waste;

     (v) Hydroelectric energy;

     (vi) Waste gas and waste heat capture or recovery;

     (vii) Biomass and biomass byproducts, except for the combustion of:

     (A) Wood that has been treated with chemical preservatives such as creosote,

pentachlorophenol, or chromated copper arsenate; or

     (B) Municipal waste in a solid form;

     (viii) Forest or rangeland woody debris from harvesting or thinning conducted to improve

forest or rangeland ecological health and to reduce wildfire risk;

     (ix) Agricultural residues;

     (x) Dedicated energy crops;

     (xi) Landfill gas or biogas produced from organic matter, wastewater, anaerobic digesters,

or municipal solid waste; or

     (xii) Geothermal energy.

     (5) "Electric distribution company" or "electrical corporation" means and shall be defined

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as set forth in § 39-1-2.

     (6) "Equipment package" means a group of components connecting an electric generator

to an electric distribution system, including all interface equipment and the interface equipment's

controls, switchgear, inverter, and other interface devices.

     (7) "Excess customer-generated electricity" means the amount of customer-generated

electricity in excess of the customer's consumption from the customer generation system during a

monthly billing period, as measured at the electrical corporation's meter.

     (8) "Fuel cell" means a device in which the energy of a reaction between a fuel and an

oxidant is converted directly and continuously into electrical energy.

     (9) "Governing authority" means:

     (i) For a distribution electrical cooperative, its board of directors; and

     (ii) For each other electrical corporation, the division as defined in § 39-1-2.

     (10) "Inverter" means a device that:

     (i) Converts direct current power into alternating current power that is compatible with

power generated by Rhode Island Energy or other servicing electrical corporation; and

     (ii) Has been designed, tested, and certified to UL1741 and installed and operated in

accordance with the latest revision of IEEE1547, as amended.

     (11) "Net electricity" means the difference, as measured at the meter owned by the

electrical corporation between:

     (i) The amount of electricity that an electrical corporation supplies to a customer

participating in a net metering program; and

     (ii) The amount of customer-generated electricity delivered to the electrical corporation.

     (12) "Net metering" means and shall be defined as set forth in § 39-26.4-3.

     (13) "Net metering program" means a program administered pursuant to the provisions of

chapter 26.4 if title 39.

     (14) "Portable solar generation device" means a moveable photovoltaic generation device

that:

     (i) Has a maximum power output of not more than one thousand two hundred watts (1,200

W);

     (ii) Is designed to be connected to a building's electrical system through a standard one

hundred twenty volt (120 V) alternating current outlet;

     (iii) Is intended primarily to offset part of the customer's electricity consumption;

     (iv) Meets the standards of the most recent version of the National Electrical Code; and

     (v) Is certified by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent nationally recognized testing

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laboratory.

     (15) "Switchgear" means the combination of electrical disconnects, fuses, or circuit

breakers:

     (i) Used to:

     (A) Isolate electrical equipment; and

     (B) De-energize equipment to allow work to be performed or faults downstream to be

cleared; and

     (ii) That is:

     (A) Designed, tested, and certified to UL1741; and

     (B) Installed and operated in accordance with the latest revision of IEEE1547, as amended.

     39-36-2. Portable solar generation device -- Exemptions -- Requirements.

     (a) A portable solar generation device that meets the requirements of this chapter is exempt

from the interconnection requirements described in chapter 26.4 of title 39 and the requirements is

to enter into a interconnection agreement pursuant to chapter 26.4 of title 39.

     (b) A portable solar generation device shall include a device or feature that prevents the

system from energizing the building's electrical system during a power outage.

     (c) An electrical corporation:

     (1) May not require a customer using a portable solar generation device to:

     (i) Obtain the electrical corporation's approval before installing or using the system;

     (ii) Pay any fee or charge related to the system; or

     (iii) Install any additional controls or equipment beyond what is integrated into the system;

and

     (2) Is not liable for any damage or injury caused by a portable solar generation device.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC005349

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PORTABLE SOLAR

GENERATION DEVICE

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     This act would create a new category of residential solar energy generation for small

portable solar generation devices.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC005349

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