Solar Opportunity and Local Access Rights Act

Bill: 110-s-1016
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2007-03-28 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative fees
Administrative procedure
Alternative energy sources
Biomass energy
Building laws
Commerce
Consumer protection
Contracts
Department of Energy
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Economics and Public Finance
Electric power distribution
Electric utilities
Electric utility rates
Environmental Protection
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal office buildings
Federal preemption
Fuel cells
Geothermal resources
Government Operations and Politics
Home repair and improvement
Homeowners' associations
Housing and Community Development
Independent regulatory commissions
Landfills
Law
Leases
Licenses
Methane
Public meetings
Rental housing
Single family housing
Solar access rights
Solar energy
Standards
State laws
Wind power

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-28
text: 
Solar Opportunity and Local Access Rights Act - Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to require each state regulatory authority with ratemaking authority, and each nonregulated electric utility, to conduct a hearing, and on the basis of such hearing, adopt a net metering standard.
 
Requires retail electric suppliers to offer to arrange to make net metering available to retail customers on a first-come-first-served basis.
 
Prescribes implementation requirements regarding: (1) net energy measurement; (2) billing practices; (3) ownership of credits; (4) safety and performance standards; and (5) determination of compliance.
 
Directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to publish model interconnection standards, according to specified requirements, for the physical connection between local distribution systems and qualified generation units and qualified electric generation units that do not exceed 20,000 kilowatts of capacity. Requires states to adopt such model standards, subject to FERC approval.
 

 

 
Prohibits a state or nonregulated utility from adopting or enforcing any standard or requirement concerning net metering or interconnection that restricts access to the electric power transmission or local distribution system by qualified generators beyond those established under this Act.
 
Allows states to adopt or enforce additional incentives or requirements to encourage qualified generation and net metering, including any that afford: (1) greater access to the electric power transmission and local distribution systems by qualified generators; or (2) greater compensation or credit for electricity generated by qualified generators.
 
Amends federal law governing administrative services for public buildings and properties to authorize a contract for renewable energy for a maximum period of 30 years.
 
Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to issue regulations to prohibit: (1) excessive fees for solar energy systems building permits; and (2) any restriction impairing the ability of the owner or lessee of a one-family residential structure to install or use a solar energy system on such property.
 
Directs the Secretary to issue regulations also requiring that the application for approval of such a system: (1) be processed and approved in the same manner as an application for approval of an architectural modification to the property; and (2) not be willfully avoided or delayed.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-28
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-03-28
text: Introduced in Senate