An Act To Allow Electricity Customers Who Operate Generating Facilities To Be Paid in Cash for Excess Net Energy Produced
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3210-E is enacted to read:
§ 3210-E. Net energy billing; rules
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Customer" means a person or an entity that takes electricity service through a transmission and distribution utility.
B. "Eligible facility" means an electric generating facility that generates electricity from a renewable resource, as defined in section 3210, subsection 2, paragraph C.
C. "Net energy" means the difference between the kilowatt-hours consumed by a customer and the kilowatt-hours generated by the customer's generating facility over any time period determined as if measured by a single meter capable of registering the flow of electricity in 2 directions.
2. Payments or credits. Upon request by a customer, a transmission and distribution utility shall compensate the customer for excess net energy generated by an eligible facility that is operated by the customer primarily to meet the customer's electricity requirements. The customer shall elect the method of compensation, which must be either:
A. Cash payment at the full value of the wholesale price of electricity; or
B. Kilowatt-hour credits that do not expire for 24 months.
3. Rules. The commission shall adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
summary
This bill requires transmission and distribution utility companies to compensate customers that generate electricity from renewable resources for any excess electricity generated by the customer beyond the customer's actual electricity usage. It requires the compensation to be in the form of a cash payment or kilowatt-hour credits at the option of the customer. The credits do not expire for 24 months. The bill directs the Public Utilities Commission to adopt routine technical rules to implement these requirements.