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2023 SESSION

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HB 1853 Public utilities; shared solar, minimum bill.

Introduced by: Suhas Subramanyam | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Public utilities; shared solar; minimum bill. Provides that the minimum bill a subscriber to a shared solar program is required to pay, which under current law the State Corporation Commission is required to establish, may include the basic customer charge, non-bypassable charges, and administrative costs of the shared solar program. The bill prohibits the minimum bill from exceeding two times the basic customer charge. The bill removes the requirement that the minimum bill include the costs of all utility infrastructure and services used to provide service and the requirement that the Commission, in establishing the minimum bill, consider further costs the Commission deems relevant to ensure that subscribing customers pay a fair share of the costs of providing electric services and minimize the costs shifted to customers not in a shared solar program. The bill requires the Commission to approve a shared solar facility program of at least 10 percent of the peak load for customers of each utility with a minimum requirement of 30 percent low-income customers. Under current law, the Commission is required to approve a program of 150 megawatts with a requirement for an additional 50 megawatts if a certain condition is met. Additionally, the bill requires the Commission's regulations for the shared solar program to allow all jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional customer classes to participate in the program.

The bill requires the Commission to establish by regulation a shared solar program that allows customers of a Phase I Utility to purchase electric power through a subscription in a shared solar facility. Subscribers of such program are required to pay a minimum bill, established by the Commission, when the bill credit reduces the subscriber's bill below the minimum bill threshold, and low-income customers are exempt from the minimum bill. The bill provides that the Commission shall approve a shared solar program of 10 percent of the peak load for customers of a Phase I Utility, and a program facility shall allocate at least 30 percent of its capacity, or savings equivalent, to low-income customers or low-income service organizations.

 


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