Source: http://register.dls.virginia.gov/details.aspx?id=6845
Timestamp: 2019-07-20 18:04:02
Document Index: 727167223

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 56', '§ 56', '§ 56', '§ 56', '§ 56', '§ 56', '§ 56', '§ 56']

Vol. 34 Iss. 13 (Final Regulation) 20VAC5-315, Regulations Governing Net Energy Metering February 19, 2018
Agency Contact: Tommy Oliver, Deputy Director, Division of Utility Accounting and Finance, State Corporation Commission, P.O. Box 1197, Richmond, VA 23218, telephone (804) 371-9358, FAX (804) 371-9350, or email tommy.oliver@scc.virginia.gov.
Pursuant to Chapters 565 and 581 of the 2017 Acts of Assembly, the amendments add a definition of small agricultural generators, provide for the interconnection of such generators, and provide that as of July 1, 2019, interconnection of agricultural customer-generators shall cease for electric cooperatives only, and such facilities shall interconnect solely as small agricultural generators. Changes since the proposed stage include amendments to clarify that (i) requirements related to electric distribution company notification include small agricultural generators, (ii) small agricultural generators should be included with net metered generators in determining whether an electric distribution company has reached the cap on participation set forth in the Code of Virginia, and (iii) a small agricultural generator's supplier shall be obligated to purchase all of the electricity generated by such generator.
AT RICHMOND, JANUARY 22, 2018
The Regulations Governing Net Energy Metering, 20VAC5-315-10 et seq. ("Existing Rules"), adopted by the State Corporation Commission ("Commission") pursuant to § 56-594 of the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act, Chapter 23 (§ 56-576 et seq.) of Title 56 of the Code of Virginia ("Code"), establish the requirements for participation by an eligible customer-generator in net energy metering in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Existing Rules include conditions for interconnection and metering, billing, and contract requirements between net metering customers, electric distribution companies, and energy service providers.
On August 25, 2017, the Commission entered an Order Establishing Proceeding ("Order") to consider revisions to the Existing Rules to reflect statutory changes enacted by Chapters 565 and 581 of the 2017 Acts of Assembly ("Chapters 565 and 581"), which amended § 56-594 of the Code by adding a new § 56-594.2 to add a definition of "small agricultural generator" and to provide for the interconnection of such generator to utilities. In addition, Chapters 565 and 581 provided that on and after July 1, 2019, interconnection of eligible agricultural customer-generators under § 56-594 shall cease for electric cooperatives only, and such facilities shall interconnect solely as small agricultural generators under § 56-594.2.
The Commission appended to its Order proposed amendments ("Proposed Rules") revising the Existing Rules, which were prepared by the Staff of the Commission to reflect the revisions mandated by Chapters 565 and 581.
Notice of the proceeding and the Proposed Rules were published in the Virginia Register of Regulations on September 18, 2017. Additionally, each Virginia electric distribution company was directed to serve a copy of the Order upon each of their respective net metering customers. Interested persons were directed to file any comments and requests for hearing on the Proposed Rules on or before October 31, 2017.
Appalachian Power Company ("APCo"), Virginia Electric and Power Company d/b/a Dominion Energy Virginia ("DEV"), the Virginia Electric Cooperatives,1 and James D. Boggs filed comments. No one requested a hearing on the Proposed Rules.
NOW THE COMMISSION, upon consideration of this matter, is of the opinion and finds that the regulations attached hereto as Appendix A ("Revised Rules") should be adopted as final rules.
DEV and APCo suggest that 20VAC5-315-30 be amended to clarify that requirements related to electric distribution company notification include small agricultural generators. We agree, and the Revised Rules reflect these modifications.
DEV and APCo suggest similar changes to 20VAC5-315-75. Specifically, the utilities note that the first sentence of the Proposed Rules references a power purchase agreement in which the small agricultural generator sells "all of the electricity generated," while the second sentence references the customer's supplier being obligated by the same power purchase agreement to "purchase the excess generation." We agree that this apparent inconsistency should be resolved and have changed the Revised Rules accordingly.
Finally, APCo suggests that 20VAC5-315-40(B) be revised to clarify that small agricultural generators should be included with net metered generators in determining whether "the total rated generating alternating current capacity of all interconnected net metered generators within … [an] electric distribution company's Virginia service territory [exceeds] 1.0% of that company's Virginia peak-load forecast for the previous year," as provided in the Existing Rules. We agree and have modified the Revised Rules to reflect this change.
(1) The Regulations Governing Net Energy Metering, as shown in Appendix A to this Order, hereby are adopted and are effective as of February 1, 2018.
(3) On or before May 1, 2018, each utility in the Commonwealth subject to Chapter 10 (§ 56-232 et seq.) of Title 56 of the Code of Virginia shall file with the Clerk of the Commission, in this docket, one (1) original document containing any revised tariff provisions necessary to implement the regulations adopted herein, and each such utility also shall file a copy of the document containing the revised tariff provisions with the Commission's Division of Public Utility Regulation. The Clerk of the Commission need not distribute copies but shall make such filings available for public inspection in the Clerk's Office and post them on the Commission's website at: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case.
AN ATTESTED COPY hereof shall be sent by the Clerk of the Commission to all persons on the official Service List in this matter. The Service List is available from the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, 1300 East Main Street, First Floor, Tyler Building, Richmond, Virginia 23219. A copy also shall be sent to the Commission's Office of General Counsel and Division of Public Utility Regulation and Utility Accounting and Finance.
1The filing entitled "Comments of the Virginia Electric Cooperatives" was submitted jointly on behalf of: A&N Electric Cooperative, BARC Electric Cooperative, Central Virginia Electric Cooperative, Community Electric Cooperative, Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, Northern Neck Electric Cooperative, Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative, Powell Valley Electric Cooperative, Prince George Electric Cooperative, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative, and Southside Electric Cooperative, as well as the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives.
A. A prospective agricultural net metering customer [ or, ] a prospective net metering customer [ , or a prospective small agricultural generator ] (hereinafter referred to as "customer") shall submit a completed commission-approved notification form to the electric distribution company and, if different from the electric distribution company, to the energy service provider, according to the time limits in this subsection. If the prospective customer has contracted with another person to own or operate, or both, the generator or generators, then the notice will include detailed, current, and accurate contract information for the owner or operator, or both, including without limitation, the name and title of one or more individuals responsible for the interconnection and operation of the generator or generators, a telephone number, a physical street address other than a post office box, a fax number, and an email address for each such person.
B. A prospective customer [ or small agricultural generator ] shall not be allowed to interconnect a generator if doing so will cause the total rated generating alternating current capacity of all interconnected net metered generators, as defined in 20VAC5-315-20, within that customer's electric distribution company's Virginia service territory to exceed 1.0% of that company's Virginia peak-load forecast for the previous year. In any case where a prospective customer has submitted a notification form required by 20VAC5-315-30 and that customer's interconnection would cause the total rated generating alternating current capacity of all interconnected net metered generators, as defined in 20VAC5-315-20, within that electric distribution company's service territory to exceed 1.0% of that company's Virginia peak-load forecast for the previous year, the electric distribution company shall, at the time it becomes aware of the fact, send written notification to the prospective customer and to the commission's Division of Energy Public Utility Regulation that the interconnection is not allowed. In addition, upon request from any customer, the electric distribution company shall provide to the customer the amount of capacity still available for interconnection pursuant to § 56-594 D of the Code of Virginia.
[ Small A small ] agricultural [ generators generator ] electing to interconnect pursuant to this section shall enter into a power purchase agreement with its supplier to sell all of the electricity generated from its small agricultural generating facility. The customer's supplier shall be obligated by the power purchase agreement to purchase the [ excess generation electricity generated ] at a price equal to a rate agreed upon by the parties that is not less than the utility's commission-approved avoided cost tariff for energy and capacity.
VA.R. Doc. No. R18-5222; Filed January 22, 2018, 8:04 p.m.