Maryland PSC convenes net metering working group to report on feasibility for community renewables

On April 30, 2012, the Maryland Senate Finance Committee submitted a letter to Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Douglas Nazarian requesting that the Net Energy Metering Working Group, established in rulemaking docket 41, meet to discuss whether a net metering program for “community energy-generating facilities” as specified under Senate Bill 595 of 2012 (which failed to pass) could be a workable net energy metering program for the state. Specifically, the Finance Committee suggested the committee consider the following, in determining whether or not it could be considered a workable program:

• A requirement that the Maryland PSC determine the wholesale price of the electricity to be used when the electric company is required to purchase any unsubscribed energy;

• A requirement that all subscribers to a community energy-generating facility be located in the same electric service territory as the facility;

• Permission for an electric company to recover from the subscribers reasonable administrative costs related to the provision of net energy metering by a community energy-generating facility; and

• Permission for the Commission to adopt consumer protection regulations relating to subscriber organizations associated with community energy-generating facilities.

Consequently, on May 7, 2012, the Maryland PSC directed the Net Energy Metering Working Group to convene to discuss whether a net metering program for community energy-generating facilities could be workable for the State. The Working Group was directed to submit its findings and recommendation to the Commission by September 4, 2012.

Laurel Passera

Laurel is a Senior Renewables Analyst for IREC attorneys Keyes, Fox & Wiedman, and engages in research and analysis of net metering and interconnection regulatory trends to support IREC’s outreach and communication efforts. In 2009, Laurel was a Southeast Regional Network fellow for the Southeast Environmental Leadership Program and currently sits on Raleigh City Council’s Environmental Advisory Board.