Bill Text: IA SSB1237 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A study bill for an act requiring that disconnection devices be installed for certain distributed electric generation facilities, providing penalties, and including effective date provisions.

Spectrum: Unknown

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-04 - Voted - Labor and Business Relations. [SSB1237 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-SSB1237-Introduced.html
Senate Study Bill 1237 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND BUSINESS RELATIONS BILL BY CHAIRPERSON BISIGNANO) A BILL FOR An Act requiring that disconnection devices be installed 1 for certain distributed electric generation facilities, 2 providing penalties, and including effective date 3 provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 2358SC (4) 86 je/rj
S.F. _____ Section 1. NEW SECTION . 476.58 Distributed generation 1 facilities —— disconnection device required —— penalty. 2 1. For purposes of this section: 3 a. “Disconnection device” means a bypass meter socket 4 and lockable visual disconnect or other disconnection device 5 capable of disconnecting and de-energizing the residual voltage 6 in a distributed generation facility. 7 b. “Distributed generation facility” means a cogeneration 8 facility or a small power production facility that is a 9 qualifying facility under 18 C.F.R. pt. 292, subpt. B, used 10 by an interconnection customer to generate electricity that 11 operates in parallel with the electric distribution system, or 12 an alternate energy purchase facility. 13 c. “Electric distribution system” means the facilities and 14 equipment owned and operated by an electric utility and used to 15 transmit electricity to ultimate usage points from interchanges 16 with higher voltage transmission networks that transport bulk 17 power over long distances. 18 d. “Electric meter” means a device used by an electric 19 utility that measures and registers the integral of an 20 electrical quantity with respect to time. 21 e. “Electric utility” means a public utility that furnishes 22 electricity to the public for compensation. 23 f. “Interconnection customer” means a person that 24 interconnects a distributed generation facility to an electric 25 distribution system. 26 2. An interconnection customer shall install a 27 disconnection device below the electric meter at the location 28 where a new or existing distributed generation facility that is 29 interconnected to an electric distribution system is located. 30 For a new distributed generation facility, an interconnection 31 customer shall complete the installation within ten days 32 after receiving authorization from an electric utility to 33 interconnect the new distributed generation facility to an 34 electric distribution system. An interconnection customer 35 -1- LSB 2358SC (4) 86 je/rj 1/ 5
S.F. _____ shall provide written notification to the electric utility 1 that uses the electric meter that the interconnection customer 2 will install a disconnection device before the installation 3 is completed. An interconnection customer shall permanently 4 affix an emblem or other label to the disconnection device 5 identifying the disconnection device as a disconnection device. 6 3. a. An interconnection customer shall submit the 7 following information in writing to the nearest local paid or 8 volunteer fire department within ten days of the installation 9 of a disconnection device as required by this section: 10 (1) The interconnection customer’s name and address. 11 (2) The location of the distributed generation facility and 12 disconnection device. 13 (3) Documentation of the interconnection customer’s 14 interconnection agreement with an electric utility. 15 (4) The date of the installation of the disconnection 16 device. 17 b. The state fire marshal may adopt rules pursuant to 18 chapter 17A to establish a format for the submission of 19 information required by this subsection and to require the 20 submission of additional information beyond that required by 21 paragraph “a” as necessary. 22 c. Other emergency services personnel or an electric 23 utility shall be afforded access to the information submitted 24 to a local paid or volunteer fire department pursuant to this 25 subsection upon request. 26 4. A local paid or volunteer fire department shall maintain 27 a registry of information received pursuant to subsection 28 3 for the purpose of alerting fire fighters responding to 29 an emergency situation that a location is equipped with a 30 distributed generation facility and that reasonable precautions 31 may be necessary when responding to the emergency situation. 32 5. a. An interconnection customer who, after written notice 33 by the board of a violation of this section, does not remedy 34 the violation, is subject to a civil penalty of not less than 35 -2- LSB 2358SC (4) 86 je/rj 2/ 5
S.F. _____ one thousand dollars and not more than five thousand dollars 1 per violation. The written notice given by the board shall 2 specify an appropriate time for compliance. 3 b. Each violation is a separate offense. For a continuing 4 violation, each day of violation, after the time specified for 5 compliance in the written notice by the board, is a separate 6 and distinct offense. Any civil penalty may be compromised 7 by the board. In determining the amount of the penalty, 8 or the amount agreed upon in a compromise, the board may 9 consider the appropriateness of the penalty in relation to the 10 interconnection customer, the gravity of the violation, and 11 the good faith of the interconnection customer in attempting 12 to achieve compliance following notification of a violation, 13 and any other relevant factors. 14 c. Civil penalties collected pursuant to this section shall 15 be remitted by the board to the treasurer of state for deposit 16 in the general fund of the state. 17 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect January 1, 18 2016. 19 EXPLANATION 20 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 21 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 22 This bill requires an interconnection customer to install a 23 disconnection device below the electric meter at the location 24 where a new or existing distributed generation facility that is 25 interconnected to an electric distribution system is located. 26 The bill defines “interconnection customer” as a person 27 that interconnects a distributed generation facility to an 28 electric distribution system. The bill defines “distributed 29 generation facility” as a cogeneration facility or a small 30 power production facility that is a qualifying facility 31 under 18 C.F.R. pt. 292, subpt. B, used by an interconnection 32 customer to generate electricity that operates in parallel 33 with the electric distribution system, or an alternate energy 34 purchase facility. The bill defines “disconnection device” as 35 -3- LSB 2358SC (4) 86 je/rj 3/ 5
S.F. _____ a bypass meter socket and lockable visual disconnect or other 1 disconnection device capable of disconnecting and de-energizing 2 the residual voltage in a distributed generation facility. The 3 bill defines “electric distribution system” as the facilities 4 and equipment owned and operated by an electric utility and 5 used to transmit electricity to ultimate usage points from 6 interchanges with higher voltage transmission networks that 7 transport bulk power over long distances. 8 For a new distributed generation facility, the bill requires 9 an interconnection customer to complete the installation 10 within 10 days after receiving authorization from an electric 11 utility to interconnect the new distributed generation facility 12 to an electric distribution system. The bill requires an 13 interconnection customer to provide written notification to 14 the electric utility that uses the electric meter that the 15 interconnection customer will install a disconnection device 16 before the installation is completed. The bill requires 17 an interconnection customer to permanently affix an emblem 18 or other label to the disconnection device identifying the 19 disconnection device as a disconnection device. 20 The bill requires an interconnection customer to submit 21 certain information relating to the interconnection customer, 22 the distributed generation facility, and the disconnection 23 device to the nearest local paid or volunteer fire department 24 within 10 days of the installation of a disconnection device 25 as required by the bill. The state fire marshal is given 26 rulemaking authority relating to the submission of such 27 information. The bill requires that other emergency services 28 personnel or an electric utility be afforded access to the 29 information submitted pursuant to the bill upon request. 30 The bill requires a local paid or volunteer fire department 31 to maintain a registry of information received pursuant to 32 the bill for the purpose of alerting fire fighters responding 33 to an emergency situation that a location is equipped with a 34 distributed generation facility and that reasonable precautions 35 -4- LSB 2358SC (4) 86 je/rj 4/ 5
S.F. _____ may be necessary when responding to the emergency situation. 1 An interconnection customer who violates the requirements of 2 the bill is subject to a civil penalty from the utilities board 3 of not less than $1,000 and not more than $5,000 per violation, 4 if the violation is not remedied after written notice by 5 the board of the violation. The bill permits the board to 6 compromise a civil penalty and provides factors that the board 7 may consider in determining the amount of a civil penalty. 8 The bill takes effect January 1, 2016. 9 -5- LSB 2358SC (4) 86 je/rj 5/ 5
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