COLORADO - PUC Invites Public Comment on Proposed Net Metering, IC Rules
The Colorado Public
Utilities Commission (PUC) has issued a notice
of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) pertaining to the implementation and
regulation of renewable-energy standards as required by the November 2004
passage of Amendment
37. The proposed rules (Docket No. 05R-112E) apply to providers of retail
electric service that serve more than 40,000 customers. Under terms of Amendment
37 and the related statute, the PUC must establish the following by March 31,
2006:
- definitions of eligible renewable-energy resources that can be used to
meet the standards;
- standards for the design, placement and management of electric-generation
technologies that use eligible renewable-energy resources to ensure that the
environmental impacts of such facilities are minimized;
- electric-resource standards for renewable-energy resources;
- a system of tradable renewable energy credits that may be used by a
qualifying retail utility to comply with this standard;
- a standard rebate offer program;
- policies for the recovery of costs incurred with respect to these
standards for qualifying retail utilities subject to PUC rate regulation;
and
- a maximum retail rate impact for this section of $0.50 per month for the
average residential customer of a qualifying retail utility.
The PUC held two informal workshops in March 2005 and developed proposed rules
based on the written and oral comments received. The proposed rules, issued
March 23, 2005, include two possible approaches to interconnection and two
possible approaches to net metering.
Net metering is defined in the proposed rules as "the ability of a single
electric meter to spin bi-directionally in order to net consumption against
generation on a kilowatt-hour basis.” The first option allows each qualifying
utility to file an application specifying how it will comply with the proposed
rules, including the proposed net-metering rules. The second option provides
specific net-metering requirements and standards that all qualifying utilities
must follow.
Likewise, the first option for interconnection allows qualifying utilities to
file an application specifying how they will comply with the proposed rules. The
second option details three levels of interconnection for on-site solar systems,
and the review process by qualifying retail utilities for applications for each
level of customer-generator facilities:
- Level 1: inverter-based customer-generator solar facilities, which have a
power rating of 10 kW or less
- Level 2: customer-generator facilities with a power rating of 2 MW or less
- Level 3: customer-generator facilities, which do not qualify for either
Level 1 or Level 2 interconnection review procedures
For more information on Colorado's proposed net metering and interconnection
rules, see the PUC’s NOPR.
A hearing on the proposed rules will be held July 11-14, 2005, at the PUC's
office in Denver.
Stakeholders may submit written comments and may present these comments orally
unless the PUC deems oral comments unnecessary. Written comments should be
submitted in both paper and electronic format no later than May 18, 2005. Reply
comments should be submitted by June 15, 2005.