20VAC5-315 Regulations Governing Net Energy Metering

REGULATIONS

Vol. 31 Iss. 22 - June 29, 2015

TITLE 20. PUBLIC UTILITIES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION

Chapter 315

Proposed Regulation

REGISTRAR'S NOTICE: The State Corporation Commission is claiming an exemption from the Administrative Process Act in accordance with § 2.2-4002 A 2 of the Code of Virginia, which exempts courts, any agency of the Supreme Court, and any agency that by the Constitution is expressly granted any of the powers of a court of record.

Title of Regulation: 20VAC5-315. Regulations Governing Net Energy Metering (amending 20VAC5-315-20, 20VAC5-315-30, 20VAC5-315-40, 20VAC5-315-70).

Statutory Authority: §§ 12.1-13 and 56-594 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Hearing Information: A public hearing will be scheduled upon request.

Public Comment Deadline: July 31, 2015.

Agency Contact: Armando J. deLeón, Utilities Engineer, Division of Energy Regulation, State Corporation Commission, P.O. Box 1197, Richmond, VA 23218, telephone [phone], FAX [phone], or email [e-mail].

Summary:

Pursuant to Chapters 431 and 432 of the 2015 Acts of Assembly, § 56-594 of the Code of Virginia was amended to, among other things, increase the maximum generating capacity of an electrical generating facility owned or operated by an electric utility's nonresidential customer that may be eligible for participation in the utility's net energy metering program and specify that new net metering facilities may not exceed the customer's expected annual energy consumption based on 12 months of billing history. The proposed amendments to the rules (i) increase the capacity limit for participation by nonresidential customers in the net energy metering program; (ii) eliminate the authorization for electric utilities to allow a higher capacity limit for nonresidential customers than that set forth in the statute; (iii) require that new net metering facilities may not exceed the customer's expected annual energy consumption based on 12 months of billing history; (iv) require any eligible customer-generator seeking to participate in net energy metering to notify its supplier and receive approval to interconnect prior to installation of an electrical generating facility; and (v) clarify requirements regarding the customer-generator's obligation to bear the costs of equipment required for the interconnection to the supplier's electric distribution system.

AT RICHMOND, JUNE 5, 2015

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, ex rel.

STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION

CASE NO. PUE-2015-00057

Ex Parte: In the matter of amending regulations
governing net energy metering

ORDER ESTABLISHING PROCEEDING

The Regulations Governing Net Energy Metering, 20 VAC 5-315-10 et seq. ("Net Energy Metering Rules"), adopted by the State Corporation Commission ("Commission") pursuant to § 56-594 of the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act, Chapter 23 (§ 56-576 et seq.) of Title 56 of the Code of Virginia ("Code"), establish the requirements for participation by an eligible customer-generator in net energy metering in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Net Energy Metering Rules include conditions for interconnection and metering, billing, and contract requirements between net metering customers, electric distribution companies, and energy service providers.

Chapters 431 and 432 of the 2015 Acts of Assembly amended § 56-594 of the Code to: (1) increase the capacity limit for participation by nonresidential customers in the net energy metering program from 500 kilowatts to one megawatt for facilities placed into service after July 1, 2015; (2) eliminate the authorization for electric utilities to allow a higher capacity limit for nonresidential customers than that set forth in the statute; (3) require that the capacity of any generating facility installed after July 1, 2015, shall not exceed the expected annual energy consumption based on the previous twelve months of billing history or an annualized calculation of billing history if twelve months of billing history is not available; (4) require any eligible customer-generator seeking to participate in net energy metering to notify its supplier and receive approval to interconnect prior to installation of an electrical generating facility; and (5) clarify requirements regarding the customer-generator's obligation to bear the costs of equipment required for the interconnection to the supplier's electric distribution system. The current Net Energy Metering Rules thus must be revised to reflect the changes set forth in Chapters 431 and 432.

NOW THE COMMISSION, upon consideration of the matter, is of the opinion and finds that a proceeding should be established to amend the Net Energy Metering Rules to increase the capacity limit for participation by nonresidential customers in the net energy metering program, to eliminate the authorization for electric utilities to allow a higher capacity limit for nonresidential customers than that set forth in the statute, to require that new net metering facilities do not exceed the customer's expected annual energy consumption based on the twelve months of billing history, to require any eligible customer-generator seeking to participate in net energy metering to notify its supplier and receive approval to interconnect prior to installation of an electrical generating facility, and to clarify requirements regarding the customer-generator's obligation to bear the costs of equipment required for the interconnection to the supplier's electric distribution system.

To initiate this proceeding, the Commission Staff has prepared proposed rules ("Proposed Rules") which are appended to this Order. We will direct that notice of the Proposed Rules be given to the public and that interested persons be provided an opportunity to file written comments on, propose modifications or supplements to, or request a hearing on the Proposed Rules. We will further direct that each Virginia electric distribution company within the meaning of 20 VAC 5-315-20 serve a copy of this Order upon each of their respective net metering customers and file a certificate of service. Individuals should be specific in their comments, proposals, or supplements to the Proposed Rules and address only those issues pertaining to the amendment of § 56-594 of the Code pursuant to Chapters 431 and 432 of the 2015 Acts of Assembly.

Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED THAT:

(1) This case is docketed and assigned Case No. PUE-2015-00057.

(2) The Commission's Division of Information Resources shall forward a copy of this Order Establishing Proceeding to the Registrar of Regulations for publication in the Virginia Register of Regulations.

(3) On or before June 23, 2015, each Virginia electric distribution company shall serve a copy of this Order upon each of their respective net metering customers and file a certificate of service no later than July 10, 2015, consistent with the findings above.

(4) On or before July 31, 2015, any interested person may comment on, propose modifications or supplements to, or request a hearing on the Proposed Rules by filing an original and fifteen (15) copies of such comments or requests with Joel H. Peck, Clerk, State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218. Individuals should be specific in their comments, proposals, or supplements to the Proposed Rules and address only those issues pertaining to the amendment of § 56-594 of the Code of Virginia pursuant to Chapters 431 and 432 of the 2015 Acts of Assembly. Issues outside the scope of implementing this amendment will not be open for consideration. Any request for hearing shall state with specificity why the issues raised in the request for hearing cannot be adequately addressed in written comments. If a sufficient request for hearing is not received, the Commission may consider the matter and enter an order based upon the papers filed herein. Interested parties shall refer in their comments or requests to Case No. PUE-2015-00057. Interested persons desiring to submit comments electronically may do so by following the instructions available at the Commission's website: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case.

(5) This matter is continued for further orders of the Commission.

AN ATTESTED COPY hereof shall be sent by the Clerk of the Commission to all persons on the official Service List in this matter. The Service List is available from the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, 1300 East Main Street, First Floor, Tyler Building, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

20VAC5-315-20. Definitions.

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Agricultural business" means any sole proprietorship, corporation, partnership, electing small business (Subchapter S) corporation, or limited liability company engaged primarily in the production and sale of plants and animals, products collected from plants and animals, or plant and animal services that are useful to the public.

"Agricultural net metering customer" means a customer that operates an electrical generating facility consisting of one or more agricultural renewable fuel generators having an aggregate generation capacity of not more than 500 kilowatts as part of an agricultural business under a net metering service arrangement. An agricultural net metering customer may be served by multiple meters of one utility that are located at separate but contiguous sites and that may be aggregated into one account. This account shall be served under the appropriate tariff.

"Agricultural renewable fuel generator" or "agricultural renewable fuel generating facility" means one or more electrical generators that:

1. Use as their sole energy source solar power, wind power, or aerobic or anaerobic digester gas;

2. The agricultural net metering customer owns and operates, or has contracted with other persons to own or operate, or both;

3. Are located on land owned or controlled by the agricultural business;

4. Are connected to the agricultural net metering customer's wiring on the agricultural net metering customer's side of the agricultural net metering customer's interconnection with the distributor;

5. Are interconnected and operated in parallel with an electric company's distribution facilities; and

6. Are used primarily to provide energy to metered accounts of the agricultural business.

"Billing period" means, as to a particular agricultural net metering customer or a net metering customer, the time period between the two meter readings upon which the electric distribution company and the energy service provider calculate the agricultural net metering customer's or net metering customer's bills.

"Billing period credit" means, for a nontime-of-use agricultural net metering customer or a nontime-of-use net metering customer, the quantity of electricity generated and fed back into the electric grid by the agricultural net metering customer's agricultural renewable fuel generator or generators or by the net metering customer's renewable fuel generator or generators in excess of the electricity supplied to the customer over the billing period. For time-of-use agricultural net metering customers or time-of-use net metering customers, billing period credits are determined separately for each time-of-use tier.

"Contiguous sites" means a group of land parcels in which each parcel shares at least one boundary point with at least one other parcel in the group. Property whose surface is divided only by public right-of-way is considered contiguous.

"Customer" means a net metering customer or an agricultural net metering customer.

"Demand charge-based time-of-use tariff" means a retail tariff for electric supply service that has two or more time-of-use tiers for energy-based charges and an electricity supply demand (kilowatt) charge.

"Electric distribution company" means the entity that owns and/or operates the distribution facilities delivering electricity to the premises of an agricultural net metering customer or a net metering customer.

"Energy service provider (supplier)" means the entity providing electricity supply service, either tariffed or competitive service, to an agricultural net metering customer or a net metering customer.

"Excess generation" means the amount of electrical energy generated in excess of the electrical energy consumed by the agricultural net metering customer or net metering customer over the course of the net metering period. For time-of-use agricultural net metering customers or net metering customers, excess generation is determined separately for each time-of-use tier.

"Generator" or "generating facility" means an electrical generating facility consisting of one or more renewable fuel generators or one or more agricultural renewable fuel generators that meet the criteria under the definition of "net metering customer" and "agricultural net metering customer," respectively.

"Net metering customer" means a customer owning and operating, or contracting with other persons to own or operate, or both, an electrical generating facility consisting of one or more renewable fuel generators having an aggregate generation capacity of not more than 20 kilowatts for residential customers and not more than 500 kilowatts one megawatt for nonresidential customers unless the electric distribution company has chosen a higher capacity limit for nonresidential customers in its net metering tariff. The generating facility shall be operated under a net metering service arrangement.

"Net metering period" means each successive 12-month period beginning with the first meter reading date following the final interconnection of an agricultural net metering customer or a net metering customer's generating facility consisting of one or more agricultural renewable fuel generators or one or more renewable fuel generators, respectively, with the electric distribution company's distribution facilities.

"Net metering service" means providing retail electric service to an agricultural net metering customer operating an agricultural renewable fuel generating facility or a net metering customer operating a renewable fuel generating facility and measuring the difference, over the net metering period, between the electricity supplied to the customer from the electric grid and the electricity generated and fed back to the electric grid by the customer.

"Person" means any individual, sole proprietorship, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association, company, business, trust, joint venture, or other private legal entity, the Commonwealth, or any city, county, town, authority, or other political subdivision of the Commonwealth.

"Renewable Energy Certificate" or "REC" represents the renewable energy attributes associated with the production of one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electrical energy by a generator.

"Renewable fuel generator" or "renewable fuel generating facility" means one or more electrical generators that:

1. Use renewable energy, as defined by § 56-576 of the Code of Virginia, as their total fuel source;

2. The net metering customer owns and operates, or has contracted with other persons to own or operate, or both;

3. Are located on the net metering customer's premises and connected to the net metering customer's wiring on the net metering customer's side of its interconnection with the distributor;

4. Are interconnected pursuant to a net metering arrangement and operated in parallel with the electric distribution company's distribution facilities; and

5. Are intended primarily to offset all or part of the net metering customer's own electricity requirements. The capacity of any generating facility installed after July 1, 2015, shall not exceed the expected annual energy consumption based on the previous 12 months of billing history or an annualized calculation of billing history if 12 months of billing history is not available.

"Time-of-use customer" means an agricultural net metering customer or net metering customer receiving retail electricity supply service under a demand charge-based time-of-use tariff.

"Time-of-use period" means an interval of time over which the energy (kilowatt-hour) rate charged to a time-of-use customer does not change.

"Time-of-use tier" or "tier" means all time-of-use periods given the same name (e.g., on-peak, off-peak, critical peak, etc.) for the purpose of time-differentiating energy (kilowatt-hour)-based charges. The rates associated with a particular tier may vary by day and by season.

20VAC5-315-30. Company notification.

A. A prospective agricultural net metering customer or a prospective net metering customer (hereinafter referred to as "customer") shall submit a completed commission-approved notification form to the electric distribution company and, if different from the electric distribution company, to the energy service provider, according to the time limits in this subsection. If the prospective customer has contracted with another person to own or operate, or both, the generator or generators, then the notice will include detailed, current, and accurate contract information for the owner or operator, or both, including without limitation, the name and title of one or more individuals responsible for the interconnection and operation of the generator or generators, a telephone number, a physical street address other than a post office box, a fax number, and an email address for each such person.

1. A prospective residential customer proposing to install an electrical generating facility with an alternating current capacity of 25 kilowatts or less shall submit the notification form at least 30 days prior to the date the prospective customer intends to interconnect the generating facility to the electric distribution company's distribution facilities. All equipment necessary to complete the interconnection of the generating facility shall have been installed prior to submitting the notification form shall notify its supplier and receive approval to interconnect prior to installation of an electrical generating facility. The electric distribution company shall have 30 days from the date of notification to determine whether the requirements contained in 20VAC5-315-40 have been met. The date of notification shall be considered to be the third day following the mailing of the notification form by the prospective customer.

2. A prospective nonresidential customer proposing to install an electrical generating facility with an alternating current capacity greater than 25 kilowatts shall submit the notification form at least 60 days prior to the date the prospective customer intends to interconnect the generating facility to the electric distribution company's distribution facilities. All equipment necessary to complete the interconnection of the generating facility shall have been installed prior to submitting the notification form. The prospective customer should contact its electric distribution company prior to making financial commitments shall notify its supplier and receive approval to interconnect prior to installation of an electrical generating facility. The electric distribution company shall have 60 days from the date of notification to determine whether the requirements contained in 20VAC5-315-40 have been met. The date of notification shall be considered to be the third day following the mailing of the notification form by the prospective customer.

B. Thirty-one days after the date of notification for a generating facility with an alternating current capacity of 25 kilowatts or less residential customer, and 61 days after the date of notification for a generating facility with an alternating current capacity greater than 25 kilowatts nonresidential customer, the prospective customer may interconnect and begin operation of the generating facility unless the electric distribution company or the energy service provider requests a waiver of this requirement under the provisions of 20VAC5-315-80 prior to the 31st or 61st day, respectively. In cases where the electric distribution company or energy service provider requests a waiver, a copy of the request for waiver must be mailed simultaneously by the requesting party to the prospective customer and to the commission's Division of Energy Regulation.

C. The electric distribution company shall file with the commission's Division of Energy Regulation a copy of each completed notification form within 30 days of final interconnection.

20VAC5-315-40. Conditions of interconnection.

A. A prospective customer may begin operation of the generating facility on an interconnected basis when:

1. The customer has properly notified both the electric distribution company and energy service provider (in accordance with 20VAC5-315-30) of the customer's intent to interconnect.

2. If required by the electric distribution company's tariff, the customer has installed a lockable, electric distribution company accessible, load breaking manual disconnect switch at each of the facility's generators.

3. In cases where a licensed electrician installs the customer's generator or generators, the licensed electrician has certified, by signing the commission-approved notification form, that any required manual disconnect switch or switches have been installed properly and that the generator or generators have been installed in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications as well as all applicable provisions of the National Electrical Code. If the customer or licensed Virginia Class A or B general contractor installs the customer's generator or generators, the signed final electrical inspection can be used in lieu of the licensed electrician's certification.

4. The vendor has certified, by signing the commission-approved notification form, that the generator or generators being installed are in compliance with the requirements established by Underwriters Laboratories or other national testing laboratories in accordance with IEEE Standard 1547, Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems, July 2003.

5. In the case of static inverter-connected generators with an alternating current capacity in excess of 10 kilowatts, the customer has had the inverter settings inspected by the electric distribution company. The electric distribution company may impose a fee on the customer of no more than $50 for each generator that requires this inspection.

6. In the case of nonstatic inverter-connected generators, the customer has interconnected according to the electric distribution company's interconnection guidelines and the electric distribution company has inspected all protective equipment settings. The electric distribution company may impose a fee on the customer of no more than $50 for each generator that requires this inspection.

7. In the case of a customer's electrical generating facility having an alternating current capacity greater than 25 kilowatts, the The following requirements shall be met before interconnection may occur:

a. Electric distribution facilities and customer impact limitations. A customer's generator shall not be permitted to interconnect to distribution facilities if the interconnection would reasonably lead to damage to any of the electric distribution company's facilities or would reasonably lead to voltage regulation or power quality problems at other customer revenue meters due to the incremental effect of the generator on the performance of the electric distribution system, unless the customer reimburses the electric distribution company for its cost to modify any facilities needed to accommodate the interconnection, including any reasonable costs of equipment required for the interconnection.

b. Secondary, service, and service entrance limitations. The capacity of the generators at any one service location shall be less than the capacity of the electric distribution company-owned secondary, service, and service entrance cable connected to the point of interconnection, unless the customer reimburses the electric distribution company for its cost to modify any facilities needed all reasonable costs of equipment required to accommodate the interconnection.

c. Transformer loading limitations. A customer's generator shall not have the ability to overload the electric distribution company's transformer, or any transformer winding, beyond manufacturer or nameplate ratings, unless the customer reimburses the electric distribution company for its cost to modify any facilities needed all reasonable costs of equipment required to accommodate the interconnection.

d. Integration with electric distribution company facilities grounding. The grounding scheme of each generator shall comply with IEEE 1547, Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems, July 2003, and shall be consistent with the grounding scheme used by the electric distribution company. If requested by a prospective customer, the electric distribution company shall assist the prospective customer in selecting a grounding scheme that coordinates with its distribution system.

e. Balance limitation. The generator or generators shall not create a voltage imbalance of more than 3.0% at any other customer's revenue meter if the electric distribution company transformer, with the secondary connected to the point of interconnection, is a three-phase transformer, unless the customer reimburses the electric distribution company for its cost to modify any facilities needed all reasonable costs of equipment required to accommodate the interconnection.

B. A prospective customer shall not be allowed to interconnect a generator if doing so will cause the total rated generating alternating current capacity of all interconnected net metered generators, as defined in 20VAC5-315-20, within that customer's electric distribution company's Virginia service territory to exceed 1.0% of that company's Virginia peak-load forecast for the previous year. In any case where a prospective customer has submitted a notification form required by 20VAC5-315-30 and that customer's interconnection would cause the total rated generating alternating current capacity of all interconnected net metered generators, as defined in 20VAC5-315-20, within that electric distribution company's service territory to exceed 1.0% of that company's Virginia peak-load forecast for the previous year, the electric distribution company shall, at the time it becomes aware of the fact, send written notification to the prospective customer and to the commission's Division of Energy Regulation that the interconnection is not allowed. In addition, upon request from any customer, the electric distribution company shall provide to the customer the amount of capacity still available for interconnection pursuant to § 56-594 D of the Code of Virginia.

C. Neither the electric distribution company nor the energy service provider shall impose any charges upon a customer for any interconnection requirements specified by this chapter, except as provided under subdivisions A 5, 6, and 7 of this section, and 20VAC5-315-50 as related to additional metering.

D. A customer shall immediately notify the electric distribution company of any changes in the ownership of, operational responsibility for, or contact information for any of the customer's generators.

20VAC5-315-70. Additional controls and tests.

Except as provided in 20VAC5-315-40 A 5 and 6 and 20VAC5-315-50 as related to additional metering, no customer shall be required to pay for additional metering, testing or controls in order to interconnect with the electric distribution company or energy service provider. However, this chapter shall not preclude a customer, an electric distribution company or an energy service provider from installing additional controls or meters, or from conducting additional tests. The expenses associated with these additional meters, tests or equipment shall be borne by the party desiring the additional meters, tests or equipment. A net metering customer's electrical generating system, and each electrical generating system of an agricultural net metering customer, shall meet all applicable safety and performance standards established by the National Electrical Code, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and accredited testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories. Beyond the requirements set forth in this chapter, and to insure public safety, power quality, and reliability of the supplier's electric distribution system, a net metering customer or agricultural net metering customer whose electrical generating system meets those standards and rules shall bear all reasonable costs of equipment required for the interconnection to the supplier's electric distribution system, including costs, if any, to (i) install additional controls and (ii) perform additional tests.

VA.R. Doc. No. R15-4412; Filed June 5, 2015, 6:09 p.m.