Code of Vermont Rules › Agency 30 - PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION › Sub-Agency 000 - GENERAL › Chapter 4400 - RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD RULE › Section 30 000 4400 - RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD RULE

Current through June, 2024
Part I GENERAL
			 PROVISIONS
Section 4.401 Purpose and
			 Background
(a) The purpose of this
			 rule is to implement the Renewable Energy Standard ("RES"),
			 established under 30 V.S.A. chapter 89, which requires Vermont Retail
			 Electricity Providers to acquire specified amounts of Renewable
			 Energy in the form of Tradeable Renewable Energy Credits ("Tradeable
			 RECs") or Environmental Attributes and to achieve fossil-fuel
			 reductions by implementing Energy Transformation Projects.
(b) The RES is divided into three
			 categories, known as Tiers.
(1)
			 Tier I requires Retail Electricity Providers to procure an amount of
			 Renewable Energy equivalent to 55% of their annual retail electric
			 sales for the year 2017, increasing by 4% every third January 1
			 thereafter, eventually reaching 75% in 2032.
(2) Tier II requires that a portion
			 of the Renewable Energy that Retail Electricity Providers procure to
			 satisfy Tier I be from New Renewable Energy from Distributed
			 Renewable Generation resources. Under Tier II, Retail Electricity
			 Providers must procure an amount of New Renewable Energy equivalent
			 to 1 % of their annual retail electric sales from Distributed
			 Renewable Generation resources in 2017, increasing by three-fifths of
			 a percent each year thereafter, eventually reaching 10% in 2032. For
			 a Retail Electricity Provider meeting the 100% renewable requirements
			 of
			 30
			 V.S.A. Section
			 8005(b), the
			 provider may satisfy the Tier II requirements by accepting
			 net-metering systems within its service territory pursuant to the
			 provisions of Title 30 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that govern
			 net-metering.
(3) Tier
			 III requires Retail Electricity Providers to procure additional
			 Distributed Renewable Generation eligible for Tier II or to achieve
			 fossil-fuel reductions from Energy Transformation Projects equivalent
			 to 2% of their annual retail electric sales in 2017, increasing by
			 two-thirds of a percent each year thereafter, eventually reaching 12%
			 in 2032. However, in the case of a Retail Electricity Provider that
			 is a municipal electric utility serving not more than 6,000
			 Customers, the required amount for Tier III is 2% of the provider's
			 annual retail sales beginning on January 1, 2019, increasing by an
			 additional two-thirds of a percent each subsequent January 1 until
			 reaching 10 and two-thirds percent on and after January 1, 2032.
(A) Any Retail Electricity Provider
			 may petition the Commission:
(i) to
			 reduce its Tier III requirement in any given year, or
(ii) if the provider fails to
			 achieve its Tier III requirement in a given year, to allow the
			 provider to avoid paying the Alternative Compliance Payment. The
			 Commission shall apply the standards provided in
			 30
			 V.S.A. Section
			 8005(a)(3)(O).
(B) For a Retail
			 Electricity Provider that meets the 100% renewable requirements of
			 30
			 V.S.A. Section
			 8005(b) and has
			 been appointed as an energy efficiency entity under
			 30 V.S.A. Section
			 209(d), the
			 provider may petition the Commission to reduce its Tier III
			 requirement as provided in
			 30
			 V.S.A. Section
			 8005(b).