HB0195 - Net metering-renewable energy systems.

 

2001

State of Wyoming

01LSO-0467

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL NO.  HB0195

 

 

Net metering-renewable energy systems.

 

Sponsored by:

 

 

A BILL

 

for

 

 1  AN ACT relating to net metering programs; requiring an
 2  electric utility to utilize a net metering program;
 3  determining appropriate billing amounts; and providing for
 4  an effective date.

 5 

 6  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

 7 

 8         Section 1.  W.S. 37-16-101 through 37-16-104 are
 9  created to read:

10 

11         37-16-101.  Definitions.

12 

13         (a)  As used in this article unless the context
14  otherwise requires:

15 

 

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 1              (i)  "Commission" means public service commission
 2  of Wyoming;

 3 

 4              (ii)  "Customer-generator" means a user of a net
 5  metering system;

 6 

 7              (iii)  "Electrical company" means any person,
 8  corporation or governmental subdivision authorized and
 9  operating under the constitution and laws of the state of
10  Wyoming which is primarily engaged in the generation or
11  sale of electric energy;

12 

13              (iv)  "Electric cooperative" means any nonprofit,
14  member-owned cooperative organized under the laws of the
15  state of Wyoming and engaged in the business of
16  distributing electric energy in the state of Wyoming;

17 

18              (v)  "Electric utility" means any electrical
19  company, irrigation district, electric cooperative or
20  municipal electric utility that is engaged in the business
21  of distributing electricity to retail electric customers in
22  the state;

23 

 

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 1              (vi)  "Irrigation district" means an irrigation
 2  district under W.S. 41-7-201;

 3 

 4              (vii)  "Municipal electric utility" means a city
 5  or town that owns or operates an electric utility;

 6 

 7              (viii)  "Net metering" means measuring the
 8  difference between the electricity supplied by an electric
 9  utility and the electricity generated by a
10  customer-generator that is fed back to the electric utility
11  over the applicable billing period;

12 

13              (ix)  "Net metering system" means a facility for
14  the production of electrical energy that:

15 

16                   (A)  Uses as its fuel either solar, wind or
17  hydropower;

18 

19                   (B)  Has a generating capacity of not more
20  than twenty-five (25) kilowatts;

21 

22                   (C)  Is located on the customer-generator's
23  premises;

24 

 

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 1                   (D)  Operates in parallel with the electric
 2  utility's transmission and distribution facilities; and

 3 

 4                   (E)  Is intended primarily to offset part or
 5  all of the customer-generator's requirements for
 6  electricity.

 7 

 8         37-16-102.  Electric utility requirements.

 9 

10         (a)  An electric utility:

11 

12              (i)  Shall offer to make available to each of its
13  eligible customer-generators that has installed a net
14  metering system an energy meter that is capable of
15  registering the flow of electricity in two (2) directions;

16 

17              (ii)  May, at its own expense and with the
18  written consent of the customer-generator, install one (1)
19  or more additional meters to monitor the flow of
20  electricity in each direction;

21 

22              (iii)  Shall not charge a customer-generator any
23  fee or charge  that would increase the customer-generator's
24  minimum monthly charge to an amount greater than that of

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 1  other customers of the electric utility in the same rate
 2  class as the customer-generator.

 3 

 4         37-16-103.  Calculation requirements.

 5 

 6         (a)  Consistent with other provisions of this chapter,
 7  the net energy measurement shall be calculated in the
 8  following manner:

 9 

10              (i)  The electric utility shall measure the net
11  electricity produced or consumed during the billing period,
12  in accordance with normal metering practices;

13 

14              (ii)  If the electricity supplied by the electric
15  utility exceeds the electricity generated by the
16  customer-generator and fed back to the electric utility
17  during the billing period, the customer-generator:

18 

19                   (A)  Shall be billed for the appropriate
20  customer charges for that month, in accordance with W.S.
21  37-16-102; and

22 

23                   (B)  Shall be credited for the excess
24  kilowatt-hours generated during the month, with this

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 1  kilowatt-hour credit appearing on the bill for the
 2  following month.

 3 

 4         (b)  At the beginning of each calendar year, any
 5  remaining unused kilowatt-hour credit accumulated during
 6  the previous year shall be sold to the electric utility, at
 7  the wholesale power rate.

 8 

 9         37-16-104.  Safety and performance requirements.

10 

11         (a)  A net metering system used by a
12  customer-generator shall meet all applicable safety and
13  performance standards established by the national
14  electrical code, the institute of electrical and
15  electronics engineers and underwriters laboratories.

16 

17         (b)  The commission, after appropriate notice and
18  opportunity for comment, may adopt by regulation additional
19  control and testing requirements for customer-generators
20  that the commission determines are necessary to protect
21  public safety and system reliability.

22 

 

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 1         Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2001.

 2 

 3                         (END)

 

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