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2022 SESSION

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SB 660 Shared solar programs; evaluation for Phase I Utilities & electric cooperatives.

Introduced by: Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. | John S. Edwards | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED:

Shared solar programs for Phase I Utilities and electric cooperatives; workgroup. Directs the State Corporation Commission to convene a stakeholder workgroup to evaluate shared solar programs for American Electric Power and requires the Commission to report on its findings to the Chairmen of the Senate Commerce and Labor and the House Commerce and Energy Committees by November 30, 2022. Additionally, the bill directs the Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives and the Coalition for Community Solar Access to jointly convene a stakeholder process to evaluate shared solar programs for electric cooperatives, and requires a report on its findings to the Chairmen of the Senate Commerce and Labor and the House Commerce and Energy Committees by November 30, 2022. This bill incorporates SB 659.

SUMMARY AS PASSED SENATE:

Shared solar programs for Phase I Utilities and electric cooperatives; workgroup. Directs the State Corporation Commission to convene a stakeholder workgroup to evaluate shared solar programs for American Electric Power and requires the Commission to report on its findings to the Chairmen of the Senate Commerce and Labor and the House Commerce and Energy Committees by November 30, 2022. Additionally, the bill directs the Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives and the Coalition for Community Solar Access to jointly convene a stakeholder process to evaluate shared solar programs for electric cooperatives,  and requires a report on its findings to the Chairmen of the Senate Commerce and Labor and the House Commerce and Energy Committees by November 30, 2022. This bill incorporates SB 659.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Shared solar programs for electric cooperatives; pilot. Creates a pilot program for participation by electric cooperatives to the shared solar programs that allow customers of investor-owned utilities to purchase electric power through a subscription in a shared solar facility. The bill provides that, for each electric cooperative, the State Corporation Commission shall approve a shared solar facility program and the Commission may, after notice and opportunity for hearing, establish a maximum amount of shared solar permissible in each electric cooperative's territory. Such maximum amount shall not be lower than the lesser of 15 megawatts or one percent of the electric cooperative's previous year peak load, with a minimum requirement that 30 percent of each cooperative's shared solar program is reserved for low-income customers. The bill permits electric cooperatives to recover interconnection costs through rate proceedings with the Commission, although fiber-optic upgrades are rebuttably presumed as not cost-justified for the purposes of rate recovery. The bill also includes instructions and a timeline for submission of an interconnection request by an owner of a shared solar project to an electric cooperative. The bill directs the Commission to review the pilot program every two years, beginning July 1, 2025.