Bill Text: HI HB1457 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Net Energy Metering

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-05-11 - Carried over to 2010 Regular Session. [HB1457 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2010-HB1457-Introduced.html

Report Title:

Net Energy Metering

 

Description:

Eliminates the cap on the maximum amount of net energy metering allowed.  Requires reasonable storage for each energy-generating facility for systems that are operated independently of the electric utility's power grid.

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1457

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

relating to net energy metering.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  Chapter 269, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding two new sections to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§269-     No requirement to become customer-generator.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, a metered residential or commercial customer of an electric utility who owns and operates a solar, wind turbine, biomass, or hydroelectric energy-generating facility, or a hybrid system consisting of two or more of these facilities, is not required to become a customer-generator to offset part or all of the customer's own electrical requirements.  The customer's energy-generating facility may be operated independently of the electric utility's transmission and distribution facilities.

     §269-     Nonutility generators; energy storage system required.  All nonutility generators shall be required to connect their energy-generating facility to an energy storage system having a capacity of at least         kilowatts."

     SECTION 2.  Section 269-101, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding two new definitions to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:

     ""Energy storage system" means any device, container, or other physical medium that is installed for or converted to the storage of electricity of some energy product created by electricity, including any necessary accessories, components, and controls that are part of the energy storage system; provided that any such energy storage system shall be specifically designed or used to store electricity or some energy product created by electricity for the primary purpose of:

(1)  Shifting the consumption of grid electricity to off-peak period; or

(2)  Storing electricity generated by a solar, wind turbine, biomass, or hydroelectric energy-generating facility,

thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels.

     "Nonutility generator" means a metered residential or commercial customer of an electric utility who owns and operates a solar, wind turbine, biomass, or hydroelectric energy-generating facility, or a hybrid system consisting of two or more of these facilities, who is not an eligible customer-generator, and whose energy-generating facility is operated independently of the electric utility's transmission and distribution facilities."

     SECTION 3.  Section 269-102, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

     "(a)  Every electric utility shall develop a standard contract or tariff providing for net energy metering and shall make this contract available to eligible customer-generators[, upon request, on a first-come-first-served basis until the time that the total rated generating capacity produced by eligible customer-generators equals .5 per cent of the electric utility's system peak demand; provided that the public utilities commission may modify, by rule or order, the total rated generating capacity produced by eligible customer-generators; provided further that the public utilities commission shall ensure that a percentage of the total rated generating capacity produced by eligible customer-generators shall be reserved for electricity produced by eligible residential or small commercial customer-generators.  The public utilities commission may define, by rule or order, the maximum capacity for eligible residential or small commercial customer-generators.  Notwithstanding the generating capacity requirements of this subsection, the public utilities commission may evaluate, on an island-by-island basis, the applicability of the generating capacity requirements of this subsection and, in its discretion, may exempt an island or a utility grid system from the generating capacity requirements]."

     SECTION 4.  Section 269-101.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.

     ["[§269-101.5]  Maximum capacity of eligible customer-generator.  The eligible customer-generator shall have a capacity of not more than fifty kilowatts; provided that the public utilities commission may increase the maximum allowable capacity that eligible customer-generators may have to an amount greater than fifty kilowatts by rule or order."]

     SECTION 5.  Section 269-104, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.

     ["§269-104  Additional customer-generators.  Notwithstanding section 269-102, an electric utility is not obligated to provide net energy metering to additional customer-generators in its service area when the combined total peak generating capacity of all eligible customer-generators served by all the electric utilities in that service area furnishing net energy metering to eligible customer-generators equals .5 per cent of the system peak demand of those electric utilities; provided that the public utilities commission may increase, by rule or order, the allowable percentage of the electric utility's system peak demand produced from eligible customer-generators in the electric utility's service area, whereupon the electric utility will be obligated to provide net energy metering to additional eligible customer-generators in that service area up to the increased percentage amount."]

     SECTION 6.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 7.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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