Note from the Editor

The Solar Panel Next Door

Sharing solar (or wind, or micro-hydro, etc…) is the hottest new trend in net metering.  It’s exciting to see so much progress within the last year alone, with more and more states jumping on the community renewables bandwagon.  This month Delaware added its name to the list with the enactment of SB 267. These policies present numerous advantages but perhaps most significantly, they expand benefits of renewable energy to a much larger pool of participants.  They also entail a lower cost of installation due to economies of scale and, with fewer constraints on system location, they can be sited more effectively to make better use of the resource. [Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States                       

Connecticut DPUC continuing meter aggregation work

New York PSC approves peak load provision for net metering, considers DG proposal for Massena          

Mid-Atlantic States       

Delaware enacts community net metering policy 

New Jersey removes 2MW cap for net metering; township asks the BPU for virtual net metering ability 

Midwestern States        

Indiana utility proposes an expansion of net metering and a FIT

Michigan PSC approves pilot electric vehicle rate for Detroit Edison

Missouri PSC seeks comments on geographic sourcing of renewables

Kansas KCC adopts net metering rules

Southern States                              

Texas universities launch innovative clean energy programs 

Western States                                               

Arizona’s Salt River Project plans to sell PV power to schools

CAISO proposes changes to large generator interconnection agreement

Idaho PUC approves system size cap change for Avista utilities  

Other States                     

Alaska enacts renewable energy goal

IREC News                                         

IREC releases 2009 Solar Market Trends Report 

Miscellaneous News    

FERC reaffirms its position on Feed-in Tariffs

NREL publishes Comprehensive Feed-in Tariff Guide for Policymakers

Utility energy storage test yields positive results

Upcoming Events        

Download the full newsletter as a PDF:  August 2010 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University. Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Varnado
NC Solar Center, NC State University

Note from the Editor

NREL Forecasted Progress, Policies Followed Suit

Remember Y2K?  It doesn’t seem that long ago even though more than a decade has passed since clairvoyants everywhere were predicting mass chaos at the turn of the millennium.  That same year, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) published an in-depth report titled Making Connections: Case Studies of Interconnection Barriers and their Impacts on Distributed Generation Projects, which became an industry standard and continues to be referenced to this day.  In a way, these NREL authors were also clairvoyants of a sort but thankfully they were more accurate in their predictions.  In the decade since the publication of this report, the renewable energy industry has experienced an explosion of renewable energy technologies that can be likened to other major industrial revolutions in history. Along with this explosion came the policies to put those technologies to work, and it has happened along a similar path suggested by the report.  [Continued in newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States                      

                Federal, State laws clash over in-state generation in Massachusetts

Mid-Atlantic States       

                D.C. PSC Issues final net metering order

                Net Metering victory declared in West Virginia 

Midwestern States        

                Indiana municipal utility approves net metering

                Iowa Board adopts Small Wind Innovation Zones

                Missouri PSC implements RES rules

Southern States

                Florida PSC approves changes to TECO Interconnection Agreement; GRU plans to expand solar FIT

Western States               

                Arizona Commission allows third-party sales to goverments, schools

                Colorado offers credit multiplier for co-ops and munis

                Idaho Power seeking approval of their first-ever PURPA agreement for solar facility       

                Nevada opens dockket investigating effects of renewable energy

                Wyoming government finds that wind energy is relatively cheap

Other States

                Alaska returns to interconnection proceeding; net metering takes effect

IREC News                           

               Join us for a webinar on Net Metering in Retail Choice States

               Informal inquiry on indemnification and state agencies

Miscellaneous News    

                FERC requests information on energy storage

                IEEE announces draft standard for DG interconnection

                Virginia Students win European Solar Decathalon

                Indemnification and State Agencies – informal request for information

Upcoming Events       

Download the full newsletter as a PDF:  July 2010 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University. Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Varnado
NC Solar Center, NC State University

Note from the Editor

Time-of-Use vs. Flat Rate: A Battle of Numbers   

The sun is heating things up in my home state of North Carolina and, as the proud new owner of a solar hot water system, I welcome those rays.  The beginning of summer is also a great time for a financial case study on net metering, as promised in our last newsletter.  In my column last month I mentioned the importance of rate choice under utility net-metering programs, as rate design can have a big effect on the payback of a PV system.

Our goal then, was to compare a typical year’s payback for a PV system on a flat rate versus one on a Time-of-Use (TOU) rate.  I must begin by saying that most of the credit for this month’s study goes to Keith McAllister, my colleague here at the NC Solar Center, who ran the numbers for us.  We chose to look at a North Carolina utility net metering program, not out of state partisanship, but rather because we are more familiar with these tariffs than those in other states.  For our experiment, we used the following tariffs available from Progress Energy Carolinas: RES-15 (Residential Flat Rate), R-TOUD-15 (Residential Time of Use Rate) and NM-4 (Net Metering Rider).  [Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States                      

Connecticut continues to mull over meter aggregation

Correction on Massachusetts interconnection

Vermont increases net metering cap for military facilities

Mid-Atlantic States       

New Jersey recognized for regulatory innovation on solar RECs

Midwestern States        

Four years later, Iowa adopts Illinois-style interconnection rules

Southern States

Florida PSC cites favorable net metering as a reason for increased renewable activity

Oklahoma enacts renewable energy goal of 15% by 2015

Western States               

Safford, Arizona approves net metering               

California suspends new rules on tradable RECs

Colorado joins the community net metering club

Idaho’s Avista Power asking PUC for an increase in the net metering cap              

Oregon PUC issues final rules for a pilot FIT (a.k.a super net metering)

Upcoming Events       

IREC News                           

State-by-State tables pair up with DSIRE

Miscellaneous News    

NREL study finds more renewable energy integration possible in the West

AWEA Study sees growth in the U.S. small wind market

NARUC summer meetings to focus on renewable energy

Download the full newsletter as a PDF: June 2010 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University. Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Varnado
NC Solar Center, NC State University

Note from the Editor

TOU Rates: The devil (can be) in the details

Solar net metering customers face several decisions in setting up their systems but few are as important as the electric utility rate under which they choose to take service. This choice can make the difference between a reasonable investment and a less financially prudent one.  In most states net-metering customers can stay on their current rate or switch to a different one and, in fact, best practices dictate that net-metering customers should not face so-called rate discrimination.  A few states and utilities around the country however, effectively make the choice for net metering customers through restrictive rate design.   For example, North Carolina’s net metering rules stipulate that customers may only claim RECs if the customer is on a TOU rate, which is generally less favorable for NC net-metering customers.

Some questions that are relevant in choosing a rate for net metering include:

1)            What are the definitions of on-peak vs. off-peak?  Does this information change from season to season and is it readily accessible to the customer?   [Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States                       

Connecticut DPUC adopts network interconnection decision      

Massachusetts distribution companies considering moratorium on renewable energy interconnections

Mid-Atlantic States       

Maryland takes a big risk with net metering        

Virginia SCC adopts final rules for net metering 

West Virginia could see a vast improvement in net metering

Midwestern States        

Indiana Commission studying an increase in net metering

Kansas Commission issues proposed net metering rules

Wisconsin Governor creates clean energy consortium

Southern States                              

Florida PSC recommends approving interconnection and net metering changes for several utilities

Western States               

California PUC votes against out-of-state RECs  

Colorado’s Xcel Energy may ramp down solar energy purchases               

Nevada third-party ownership regulations go into effect              

Oregon PUC still mulling over rate-setting           

Utah interconnection rules become effective and net metering rules are expanded

Other States                       

Alaska net metering rules adopted; interconnection still under way

Miscellaneous News and Events

UL announces new PV certification program

NREL announces leading utilities for green power

NYC working on solar web tool

2009 saw global PV growth of 15%

Download the full newsletter as a PDF: May 2010 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University. Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Varnado
NC Solar Center, NC State University

Note from the Editor: Public Utilities – Local Challenges, Local Solutions

This month we wrap up the discussion on innovative utility practices with a look at public and municipal utilities, generally referred to as munis. These utilities are non-profit, government-organized entities which represent 61% of utilities but only 15% of electric sales.  Munis are not usually regulated by PUCs (they are in only seven states); instead, they are overseen by city or county boards. Because they are run by, or report to, elected officials, their policies are arguably more easily influenced by the mood of the local electorate.  In turn, this gives munis a measure of freedom to implement policies that suit the needs of their local customer base.

One of the main constraints public utilities have faced, over the past few years in particular, has been city-level budget crises.  Because a portion of utility revenues revert to the municipality’s general fund (which supports police departments, etc.) government officials often have to balance renewable energy programs with the concerns of a dwindling city budget. Los Angeles has recently provided us with a compelling example of this type of conflict (see California, pg. 6). Last month the Los Angeles Municipal Utility (LADWP) asked the city council to approve significant rate increases, in part, so that they may undertake a Feed-in Tariff program as part of Mayor Villaraigosa’s solar initiative, announced in 2008. Due to caps on rate increases though, the city has thus far withheld their approval.  [Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States

Connecticut DPUC issues draft decision on network interconnections

New York’s Town of Massena offers net metering

Vermont’s Green Mountain Power has seen sharp increase in PV DG

Mid-Atlantic States

Pennsylvania PUC delivers good news to net metering customers           

Midwestern States

Indiana Power and Light announces voluntary FIT

South Dakota requires utilities to file minimum RE rates

Southern States

Florida’s Gulf Power petitions for standard interconnection up to 10 MW

Texas smart meter Website introduced for consumers

Western States

California authorizes Tradable RECs; L.A. spars with utility over renewable energy rate increases

Colorado enacts ambitious RPS legislation

New Mexico allows 3rd party ownership, cost recovery for net metering

Other States

Hawaii working on interconnection standards

IREC NEWS

Community Power Proposal

Memo on FERC Ruling

2010 IREC Annual Meeting

Miscellaneous News and Events

NREL report assesses PV interconnection potential in NYC

Arizona ACC approves pilot solar PPA  project 

Download the full newsletter as a PDF:  APRIL 2010 Connecting to the Grid

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University. Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Varnado
NC Solar Center, NC State University

Note from the Editor: Investor-Owned Utilities: Going Solar and Staying Profitable

Last month I posted an article about some of the constraints that electric cooperatives face when considering more renewable-friendly policies.  Investor-owned utilities (IOUs) confront a somewhat different array of challenges because they are generally privately owned and state-regulated.  According to EIA data, IOUs account for 6% of all utilities, 42% of generation, 66% of sales and 67% of revenue in the United States, ultimately serving about 100 million customers. 

Like most private ventures, these utilities are profit-motivated, either distributing dividends to shareholders or reinvesting profits in their company. This for-profit structure has traditionally precluded many voluntary renewable energy incentives but, as state Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) benchmarks are coming due, utilities are starting to find more innovative ways to purchase or otherwise support green power. As of this month, 29 states plus D.C. have an RPS that requires utilities and/or electricity suppliers to invest in renewable energy or buy renewable energy credits (RECs) to account for a certain percentage of their retail electricity sales.  Faced with these and other regulatory requirements, as well as the promise of possible profits, utilities must now decide if and how they will participate in the renewable energy industry. The situation is further complicated by electricity restructuring laws which may prohibit an electric distribution utility from owning generation assets, in which case the utility may have to consider other options.  [Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States

Connecticut DPUC issues favorable draft decision on meter aggregation; town and utility reach agreement

New York removes peak load limitation for net metering

Maine PUC adopts rules for community-based pilot program

Mid-Atlantic States

Delaware finalizes net metering changes, allowing grid-integrated vehicles to net-meter

D.C. PSC releases proposed rules for net metering          

Midwestern States

Illinois ICC adopts interconnection standards for large distributed generation facilities

Southern States

Louisiana PSC issues strawman RPS proposal

Mississippi net metering bill dies in committee

Western States

California increases aggregate participation cap

Montana PSC issues proposed interconnection standards for systems up to 10MW

Oregon PUC considers an array of Feed-in Tariff proposals

Other States

Hawaii PUC reaches decision on rate decoupling, increasing RPS Goal

Miscellaneous News and Events

NC report supportive of solar and wind increases

CPUC rejects fuel cell proposal

FERC seeks comments on integration of renewables

Download the full newsletter as a PDF:  March 2010 Connecting to the Grid

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University. Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Varnado
NC Solar Center, NC State University

Note from the Editor: Innovative Utility Practices, a Focus on Co-ops

Our centralized-generation model of energy infrastructure was clearly a driving force behind the acceleration of American economic development in the 20th century.  Considering the current media and political buzz around transitioning to a clean energy economy, the U.S. is in the midst of rethinking this model.  Many forward-thinking utilities have already begun to transform their business-as-usual approach to fit the next-generation of power delivery needs.

The three main types of utilities, investor-owned, municipal and cooperative, are similar in many respects but their fundamental structure and purpose differs enough to cause variations in their approach to net metering and interconnection policies. Despite the inherent constraints of each utility type, some utilities have heeded the call for more and cheaper options to connect renewable energy to the grid.  This month we begin to look at some of the constraints that bind utilities’ policy-making abilities and ways that utilities are working with the system to ramp up renewables.  I’ll start the discussion with electric cooperatives and in subsequent months we will be following up with a look at municipal and investor-owned utilities. [Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States

Connecticut to Hold Hearing on Network Interconnections

Con Edison Calls for More Solar Projects; PSC Approves Net Metering Tariffs

Rhode Island Releases State-Wide Energy Plan

Vermont PSB issues FIT order

Mid-Atlantic States

New Jersey Removes 2 MW Cap on Net Metering

Midwestern States

Michigan PSC Announces a Sharp Increase in Net Metering Participants

Southern States

Florida’s FKEC Initiates Solar Community Lease Program

Western States

California PUC Proposes Alternate Decision Approving PV DG Program; SMUD opens and closes FIT queue

Fort Collins, Colorado Adopts Formal Net Metering Provision into City Code

Utah PSC Issues Proposed Rules for Interconnection; RMP responds with proposed agreements

Other States

Alaska RCA Finalizes Net Metering Rules

Miscellaneous News and Events

NREL Releases FIT Report

President’s Office Requests Info on Smart Grid Interface

San Francisco Adopts PACE Financing Model

Download the full newsletter as a PDF: February 2010 Connecting to the Grid

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University. Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Varnado
NC Solar Center, NC State University

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

The Connecting to the Grid newsletter is published electronically every month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University. This is a free publication. Click here to subscribe.

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection are primarily state issues, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to capture any subtle, emerging regional trends. The state news is presented in geographic categories, primarily because the standard NERC and/or RTO/ISO regions do not always align with state boundaries. Please direct comments and questions about the newsletter to Laurel Varnado.

 January 2010 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter (PDF)

January 2010 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter (MS Word)

WHAT’S NEW AS OF JANUARY 2010

Note from the Editor: Celebrating the Year’s and Decade’s Achievements

The New Year always provides good opportunity for reflection, so in keeping with “Best of” traditions, I thought I would highlight the major achievements that we witnessed in 2009 for Net Metering and Interconnection-related policies.

1. Several states improved upon their interconnection procedures, increasing the system cap to 10 MW or greater, including D.C, South Dakota, Virginia and Oregon.
2. After a brief legal battle, Missouri relaxed its insurance requirements for interconnecting DG systems.
3. We saw a surprising number of states that enacted or adopted policies for the first time, including Kentucky, Nebraska, Alaska, Kansas, and South Carolina
4. Several states formalized rules for shared system net metering including Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts. Rhode Island also passed legislation allowing virtual net metering for up to 10 accounts owned by government and certain other classes of utility customers.
5. Aggregate participation caps also got a boost in several states: New Hampshire (saw a small increase to 1%), Delaware (5%), Utah (for Rocky Mountain Power: 20%), and North Carolina (removed the cap altogether)
6. Delaware and California allowed indefinite rollover of net metering credits.
7. Michigan, North Carolina and West Virginia are working on REC tracking platforms
8. Several states are working on fixed price offerings or feed-in tariffs (FITs) including Hawaii, California, Oregon, Maine and Wisconsin

But wait, let’s not stop there! Not only was it the turn of a new year but it was also the turn of a new decade.  Recently, I came across a net metering map that had been created by the folks at DSIRE, of course, showing states with net metering policies in the year 2000.  Only 22 states were shaded.  If you compare that to today’s DSIRE map you will see a remarkable difference; almost twice as many states have net metering now than did ten years ago. [Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail:

Northeast States

Connecticut utilities issue report on interconnection to networks

New York PSC expands RPS to 30%

Maine PUC adopts best-practices interconnection procedures

Massachusetts launches comprehensive solar program

Vermont PSB staff issue proposal for setting renewable energy FIT prices

Mid-Atlantic States

Maryland Governor accepts proposal to increase incentives for renewable energy in the state

New Jersey separates NM and IC rules, lifting 2MW cap on interconnection; proposes lifting 2MW cap on net metering.

Pennsylvania PUC issues policy statement in support of solar projects

Midwestern States

Kansas public utility voluntarily adopts net metering, interconnection

Missouri PSC sends Renewable Energy Standard proposal to Secretary of State for approval

Wisconsin PSC notes that all utilities are meeting or exceeding RPS goals

Southern States

North Carolina’s Duke Energy begins second phase of Solar Distributed Generation Program

Western States

Arizona ACC rules on third-party arrangement for school districts

CPUC provides standard contract for CHP generation delivered to the grid

New Mexico PRC upholds ruling on third-party sales

Oregon PUC posts FIT workshop information

Washington UTC files NOPR on smart grid work

Miscellaneous News

China Increases Renewable Energy Goal

California to allow tradable RECs to meet RPS compliance

A Round-up of Feed-in Tariff news from Around the World

Conferences and Events

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

The Connecting to the Grid newsletter is published electronically every month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University. This is a free publication. Click here to subscribe.

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection are primarily state issues, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to capture any subtle, emerging regional trends. The state news is presented in geographic categories, primarily because the standard NERC and/or RTO/ISO regions do not always align with state boundaries. Please direct comments and questions about the newsletter to Laurel Varnado.

December_2009_Connecting_to_the_Grid

WHAT’S NEW AS OF DECEMBER 2009?

Note from the Editor: The 2009 annual report cards are in!

They’ve tallied the scores and the grades are in. Last month the Network for New Energy Choices (NNEC) released Freeing the Grid 2009, an annual report on state net metering and interconnection policies, which it has been publishing since 2007.  It is remarkable to note the progress that states have made in such a short time span since the first edition was published. The sidebar below shows this progression by comparing the number of states that fell into each grade category in 2009 as compared with 2007.

As progressive states, like the 2009 best practices feature state of Oregon, improve their policies, they continually raise the bar for everyone else. In order to capture these trends NNEC works to fine-tune the scoring methodology. It is possible that some states might have moved up or down a grade even though they didn’t change their policy.  The pertinent change was a new category that awards points for the allowance of power purchase agreements (PPAs) in state net metering policies. At the end of FTG ’09 (beginning on pg. 95) there is a great synopsis of the bolstering effect that PPAs have on solar markets in states where they are allowed to operate. [Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail:

Northeast States
Maine PUC rules on solar company’s petition to be classified as a distribution utility
Massachusetts net metering tariffs in effect
New York authorizes PACE financing model for renewable energy investments

Mid-Atlantic States
D.C. OPC Comments clarify net metering NOPR
New Jersey BPU answers questions and extends deadline for Renewable Energy Grid Connected Program
West Virginia enacts bill to establish REC tracking

Midwestern States
Missouri-based utility announces plans for solar projects, rebates for customers
Kansas to host Midwest electricity law seminar
Kentucky and TVA sign clean energy pact
Ohio PUC places net metering tariffs into effect
Wisconsin’s Advanced Renewables Tariff discussion recap

Southern States
Florida PSC notes that renewable energy and residential interconnections are on the rise
Georgia PSC approves “solar only” modification to Georgia Power’s green energy tariff

Western States
Arizona’s SRP announces installation of 14 solar PV systems at area schools
California’s PG&E increases net metering cap; CPUC approves space-based solar PPA
Montana Municipal utility fined for lack of RPS compliance
Nevada PUC issues draft rules for net metering in conjunction with incentives

Miscellaneous News
NREL State of the States Report Released
DOE Launches New Website to Bring Energy Technology Information to the Public
Neighborhood Batteries Coming to Ohio, Detroit
Solar Company Sells Solar Panels at Big-Box Retail Stores

Conferences and Events

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

The Connecting to the Grid newsletter is published electronically every month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University. This is a free publication. Click here to subscribe.

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection are primarily state issues, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to capture any subtle, emerging regional trends. The state news is presented in geographic categories, primarily because the standard NERC and/or RTO/ISO regions do not always align with state boundaries. Please direct comments and questions about the newsletter to Laurel Varnado.

November_2009_Connecting_to_the_Grid (pdf)

November 2009 Connecting to the Grid (Word file)

WHAT’S NEW AS OF NOVEMBER 2009?

Supermodels of Renewable Energy Policy

As President Barack Obama declared October National Energy Awareness Month, I thought it was fitting that IREC released several useful documents last month. These reports should be of special interest to the readers of Connecting to the Grid because all of them touch upon net metering and interconnection and include: Connecting to the Grid Guide 6th edition, Net Metering and Interconnection Model Procedures, and the 2009 Updates and Trends Report.

As many of you are aware, IREC strives to promote best practices in renewable energy policy. The net metering and interconnection models provide a detailed picture of what IREC considers best practices in these arenas. They provide a useful means for anyone interested in learning more about these tools, including policy makers, regulators, utilities, industry representatives and the general public. The following is a summary of some of the main provisions in each of the models:

Net metering

• No hard cap on system size, instead systems are limited to the service entrance capacity
• Indefinite rollover of net metering credits (this helps to prevent over-sizing of systems)
• No aggregate limit on participation in net metering programs
• No explicit prohibition of 3rd party ownership of net metered systems
• Customer retains Renewable Energy Credits associated with production.
• The aggregation of multiple meters is allowed on a customer-generator’s property or contiguous properties (i.e. one system may off-set multiple meters, regardless of rate schedule).

[Continued in the Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States

–Maine PUC issues proposed rules for the Community-Based Renewable Energy Pilot Program

–Massachusetts DPU announced deployment of 5 MW of utility solar installations

–New York DPS seeks to evaluate the permitting process for interconnecting generators

Mid-Atlantic States

–D.C. PSC issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for net metering regulations

–Maryland PSC will hold rule-making session on the state’s RPS modifications

–New Jersey BPU issues solicitation for grid-connected wind and biomass projects

Midwestern States

–Michigan PSC launches renewable energy tracking system

–Missouri PSC closes net metering docket

–Wisconsin PSC holds technical conference on Advanced Renewables Tariff

Southern States

–North Carolina Commission issues RFP for the development of a REC tracking system

–South Carolina utilities file net metering tariffs with the PSC

Western States

–California PUC releases report on CSI program

–Colorado re-issues interconnection rules

–Nevada PUC opens an investigation of Feed-in Tariffs

–Oregon PUC issues draft rule for pilot solar feed-in tariff

Other States

–Alaska RCA approves net metering modifications

–Hawaii Governor links with China for renewable energy partnership

Miscellaneous News

–Solar Advocates Applaud PG&E Commitment to Expand Net Metering Program in California

–DOE and NREL Announce Open PV Mapping Project

–Super Hub Planned to Move Renewable Energy

Conferences and Events