REPORT TITLE:
Net Energy Metering


DESCRIPTION:
Amends Hawaii's net energy metering law.  Increases amount of
capacity that must be allowed from 0.1% to 3% of peak demand.
Establishes certain requirements for contracts.  Limits charges
that may be imposed.  Provides more detailed requirements for
making net energy metering calculation.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           205
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO NET ENERGY METERING.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds and declares that a
 
 2 program to provide net energy metering for eligible customer-
 
 3 generators is one way to encourage private investment in
 
 4 renewable energy resources, stimulate in-state economic growth,
 
 5 enhance the continued diversification of Hawaii's energy resource
 
 6 mix, and reduce interconnection and administrative costs for
 
 7 electric service providers.  The purpose of this Act is to amend
 
 8 Hawaii's net energy metering law to accomplish these goals.
 
 9      SECTION 2.  Section 269-16.21, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
10 amended to read as follows:
 
11      "[[]§269-16.21[]]  Net energy metering.(a)  [Every
 
12 electric utility in the State that offers residential electrical
 
13 service shall develop a standard contract or tariff providing for
 
14 net energy metering, and shall make this contract available to
 
15 eligible customer-generators on a first-come, first-served basis
 
16 until such time as the total rated generated capacity owned and
 
17 operated by eligible customer-generators in each utility's
 
18 service areas equals 0.1 per cent of the utility's peak demand.
 
19      (b)  Each eligible customer-generator meeting the criteria
 

 
Page 2                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           205
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 of subsection (a) shall be entitled to net energy metering,
 
 2 calculated as follows:
 
 3      (1)  The customer-generator shall be billed for the energy
 
 4           supplied by the utility at the utility-approved retail
 
 5           rate, less an amount equal to the amount of energy
 
 6           generated by the customer over the applicable billing
 
 7           period, multiplied by a rate set by the commission
 
 8           based on the incremental cost to the utility of
 
 9           alternative electric energy.
 
10      (2)  Where the amount in paragraph (1) is positive, the
 
11           customer-generator shall be billed by the utility.
 
12           Where the amount is negative, the customer-generator
 
13           shall be credited by the utility.
 
14      (c)  A utility, with the consent of the eligible customer-
 
15 generator, may annualize the period during which the net energy
 
16 measurement is calculated.
 
17      (d)  In the event of disputes between a utility and an
 
18 eligible customer-generator, either party may request a
 
19 determination of the disputed issue by the commission.
 
20      (e)  The electric utility shall have the right to deny
 
21 interconnection with an eligible customer-generator if the
 
22 interconnection will directly result in degradation of service.
 
23      (f)  The electric utility shall have the right to prevent
 

 
Page 3                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           205
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 electric energy flow into the system by the customer-generator if
 
 2 the customer-generator's facilities are not in compliance with
 
 3 the electric utility's interconnection requirements.  The
 
 4 interconnection will be reinstated upon remediation by the
 
 5 customer-generator within a reasonable period.  Repeated
 
 6 violations within a one-year period may be grounds for
 
 7 termination of the interconnection agreement.] As used in this
 
 8 section:
 
 9      "Eligible customer-generator" means a customer of an
 
10 electric service provider, who uses a solar-electric generating
 
11 facility with a capacity of not more than two hundred-fifty
 
12 kilowatts that is located on the customer's premises, is
 
13 interconnected and operates in parallel with the electric grid,
 
14 and is intended primarily to offset part or all of the customer's
 
15 own electrical requirements.
 
16      "Net energy metering" means measuring the difference between
 
17 the electricity supplied to the eligible customer-generator and
 
18 the electricity generated and fed back to the electric grid by
 
19 the eligible customer-generator over an annual billing period.
 
20      (b)  Every electric service provider shall develop a
 
21 standard contract or tariff providing for net energy metering and
 
22 shall make this contract available to eligible customer-
 
23 generators, upon request, on a first-come, first-served basis
 

 
Page 4                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           205
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 until the time that the total rated generating capacity used by
 
 2 eligible customer-generators, in each electric service provider's
 
 3 area, equals three per cent of the electric service provider's
 
 4 peak electricity demand.
 
 5      (c)  Each net energy metering contract or tariff shall be
 
 6 identical, with respect to rate structure, all retail rate
 
 7 components, and any monthly charges, to the contract or tariff to
 
 8 which the same customer would choose or be assigned if the
 
 9 customer was not an eligible customer-generator.  The charges for
 
10 all retail rate components for eligible customer-generators shall
 
11 be based exclusively on the eligible customer-generator's net
 
12 kilowatt-hour consumption in accordance with subsection (e).  No
 
13 other new or additional demand charge, stand-by charge, customer
 
14 charge, minimum monthly charge, interconnection charge, or other
 
15 charge that would increase an eligible customer-generator's costs
 
16 beyond those of other customers in the rate class to which the
 
17 eligible customer-generator would otherwise choose or be assigned
 
18 shall be included in the net energy metering contract or tariff.
 
19      (d)  Net energy metering shall be accomplished using a
 
20 single meter capable of registering the flow of electricity in
 
21 two directions.  An additional meter or meters to monitor the
 
22 flow of electricity in each direction may be installed, with the
 
23 consent of the eligible customer-generator, at the expense of the
 

 
Page 5                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           205
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 electric service provider, and the additional metering shall be
 
 2 used only to provide the information necessary to accurately bill
 
 3 or credit the eligible customer-generator pursuant to subsection
 
 4 (e).  If an additional meter or meters are installed, the net
 
 5 energy metering calculation shall yield a result identical to
 
 6 that for a single meter.
 
 7      (e)  The net energy metering calculation shall be made by
 
 8 measuring the difference between the electricity supplied to the
 
 9 eligible customer-generator and the electricity generated and fed
 
10 back to the electric grid by the eligible customer-generator over
 
11 an annual billing period.  If time-of-use metering is used, then
 
12 the net energy metering calculation shall be made separately
 
13 during each time of use period.  The following shall apply to the
 
14 net metering calculation:
 
15      (1)  The electric service provider shall measure the net
 
16           energy produced or consumed during a regular billing
 
17           period, in accordance with normal metering practices;
 
18      (2)  If the electricity supplied by the electric service
 
19           provider exceeds the electricity generated by the
 
20           eligible customer-generator during the billing period,
 
21           the eligible customer-generator shall be billed for the
 
22           net energy supplied, in accordance with subsection (c);
 
23      (3)  If the electricity generated by the eligible customer-
 

 
Page 6                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           205
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           generator exceeds the electricity supplied by the
 
 2           electric service provider, the electric service
 
 3           provider shall credit the eligible customer-generator
 
 4           for the excess kilowatt-hours generated, in accordance
 
 5           with subsection (c).  This kilowatt-hour credit shall
 
 6           appear on the next regular billing statement;
 
 7      (4)  At the end of each annual period, the electric service
 
 8           provider shall retain any remaining unused credit for
 
 9           the excess kilowatt-hours generated during the prior
 
10           annual period and the eligible customer-generator shall
 
11           not be owed any compensation for that unused credit.
 
12      (f)  A solar-electric generating system used by an eligible
 
13 customer-generator shall meet all applicable safety and
 
14 performance standards established by the National Electrical
 
15 Code, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and
 
16 accredited testing laboratories, such as Underwriters
 
17 Laboratories.  Eligible customer-generators whose solar-electric
 
18 systems meet those standards shall not be required to install
 
19 additional controls or perform or pay for additional tests."
 
20      SECTION 3.  Section 269-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
21 amended by deleting the definition "net energy metering".
 
22      [""Net energy metering" means using a non-time-
 
23 differentiated meter to measure the electricity supplied by a
 

 
Page 7                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           205
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 utility and another non-time-differentiated meter to measure the
 
 2 electricity generated by an eligible customer-generator and fed
 
 3 back to the utility over an entire billing period."]
 
 4      SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
 5 New statutory material is underscored.
 
 6      SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
 7 
 
 8                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________