Renewable + Law : Renewable Energy Lawyer & Attorneys : Stoel Rives Law Firm : Climate Change, Emissions, Carbon Markets, Wind, Solar, Biofuels : Western United States

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The following changes to Rocky Mountain Power’s (RMP) Net Metering Tariff went into effect April 1, 2009, based on the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) ruling in February 12, 2009:

Key Changes to Net Metering

1. Total System Capacity set at 20% of RMP’s 2007 peak demand (equivalent to 923,000 kW or 923 MW). 
    
2. All Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) are owned by the customer, or as otherwise designated by the customer.
    
3. Residential customers will receive kilowatt-hour credits for any excess generation they produce. 
    
4. Large commercial and industrial customers with demand charges that generate excess generation will be given a choice between:
   • Valuing excess generation at an avoided cost based rate (schedule 37), available as a choice between a blended (yearly average) rate or seasonally differentiated rates,
     -- OR --
   • Valuing excess generation at an alternative rate calculated by dividing Rocky Mountain Power’s Utah revenue per schedule (applicable to the net metering customer) by the schedule’s corresponding kilowatt-hours usage data from the previous year’s FERC Form No. 1.
      
5. Annual Net Metering Report Requirements: The PSC directs RMP to submit an annual net metering report that includes the number of Utah net metering installations, the respective individual capacity of each installation, the total capacity of the Utah customer-generation as of the end of the annualized billing period, and any unforeseen problems or barriers in the tariff, and any other relevant measure showing how close the program is to the designated net metering cap.
    
6. Customer classification: The PSC determined that the following customer classes will be used to implement the aforementioned changes:
   • Residential: all residential schedules
   • Small Commercial: Schedule No. 23 and Schedule No. 23B – General Service – Demand Time-of-Day – Distribution Voltage
   • Large Commercial: Schedules Nos. 6, 6A – General Service – Energy Time-of-Day Option, 6B – General Service – Demand Time-of-Day Option, Schedule 8, and Schedule No. 10 – Irrigation and Soil Drainage Pumping Power Service
      
7. Minimum Bill Fee: The PSC found it reasonable to apply the minimum bill to net metering customers who provide net excess generation.