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1999 SESSION

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HB 2646 Public utilities; small power producers. etc.

Introduced by: Frank W. Wagner | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED:

Public utilities; small power producers; exemption from utility regulation. Exempts from the definition of “public utility,” for the purpose of public utility rate and service regulation by the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) under Chapter 10 (§ 56-232 et seq.) of Title 56, small power producers (qualified as such under the federal Public Utilities Regulatory Act of 1978, and FERC regulations implementing the same) (i) whose rated capacity does not exceed 7.5 megawatts and (ii) whose output is not sold to residential customers. Under current law, small hydroelectric producers not exceeding 20 megawatts of rated capacity are exempt from SCC rate and service regulation if their output is sold to fewer than five end users, none of whom may be residential customers. The bill also exempts from SCC regulation aggregators of such small power producers.

SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE:

Public utilities; small power producers; exemption from utility regulation. Exempts from the definition of “public utility” for the purpose of public utility rate and service regulation by the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) under Chapter 10 (§ 56-232 et seq.) of Title 56, small power producers (qualified as such under the federal Public Utilities Regulatory Act of 1978, and FERC regulations implementing the same) (i) whose rated capacity does not exceed 7.5 megawatts and (ii) whose output is not sold to residential customers. Under current law, small hydroelectric producers not exceeding 20 megawatts of rated capacity are exempt from SCC rate and service regulation if their output is sold to less than five end users, none of whom may be residential customers. The bill also exempts from SCC regulation aggregators of such small power producers.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Public utilities; small power producers; exemption from utility regulation; access to transmission and distribution. Exempts from the definition of “public utility” for the purpose of public utility rate and service regulation by the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) under Chapter 10 (§ 56-232 et seq.) of Title 56, small power producers using biomass, waste, renewable resources, geothermal resources, or any combination thereof as the source of energy for producing electricity and not exceeding 20 megawatts of rated capacity. The bill also requires Virginia’s regulated public utilities to provide such small power producers open access to the utilities’ transmission and distribution facilities for the purpose of retail electricity sales by these small producers. Under current law, small hydroelectric producers not exceeding 20 megawatts of rated capacity are exempt from SCC rate and service regulation if their output is sold to less than five end users, none of whom may be residential customers.