Alaska RCA approves net metering rules
ALASKA – On October 15, the Regulatory Commission of Alaska issued a Staff Memorandum with changes to the state’s proposed net metering regulations. Staff’s recommended changes did not depart greatly from the original proposal but some language was modified based on participants’ comments. The RCA Commissioners voted to approve this new version. The regulation will…
ALASKA – On October 15, the Regulatory Commission of Alaska issued a Staff Memorandum with changes to the state’s proposed net metering regulations. Staff’s recommended changes did not depart greatly from the original proposal but some language was modified based on participants’ comments. The RCA Commissioners voted to approve this new version. The regulation will next receive a legal review by the Alaska Department of Law, and then be sent to the Lieutenant Governor for signature. The regulation is expected to become active within 90 to 120 days and will effectively permit net metering for customer-generators on the “Railbelt” utilities (ML&P, Chugach Electric, Golden Valley Electric, Matanuska Electric, Seward and Homer Electric) and a handful of other utilities across the state that exceed 5 million kilowatt hours of annual sales.
These regulations allow net metering up to 1.5% of each electric utility’s average retail demand (roughly equivalent to 1% of peak demand). Systems must be owned or leased, and operated, by the consumer, and have a cumulative nameplate capacity 25 kW or less. Net metered systems must be used primarily to offset part or all of the customer’s requirements for electricity and be controlled by an inverter or switchgear. No month-to-month rollover is allowed of excess credits, rather month-end excess is credited at the utility’s avoided cost rate on the customer’s next bill. Utilities may not assess additional charges or fees for net metering customers and must pay for the purchase and installation of any additional metering equipment that they deem necessary. For more information and to view staff’s memo, please refer to rulemaking docket R-09-1
No further action has yet been taken on the interconnection procedures docket (R-09-2).
