H.B. 284

1

NET METERING BILLING CYCLES
2 2013 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Keven J. Stratton
5 Senate Sponsor: Evan J. Vickers
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill modifies provisions relating to net metering of electricity.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 . modifies a definition applicable to the net metering of electricity so that an electrical
13 corporation's net metering tariff or rate schedule may define a billing cycle other
14 than a cycle starting on April 1 of one year and ending on March 31 of the following
15 year.
16 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
17 None
18 Other Special Clauses:
19 None
20 Utah Code Sections Affected:
21 AMENDS:
22 54-15-102, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2010, Chapter 302
23
24 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
25 Section 1. Section 54-15-102 is amended to read:
26 54-15-102. Definitions.
27 As used in this chapter:

28 (1) "Annualized billing period" means:
29 (a) a 12-month billing cycle beginning on April 1 of one year and ending on March 31
30 of the following year[.]; or
31 (b) a 12-month billing cycle as defined by an electrical corporation's net metering tariff
32 or rate schedule.
33 (2) "Customer-generated electricity" means electricity that:
34 (a) is generated by a customer generation system for a customer participating in a net
35 metering program;
36 (b) exceeds the electricity the customer needs for the customer's own use; and
37 (c) is supplied to the electrical corporation administering the net metering program.
38 (3) "Customer generation system":
39 (a) means an eligible facility that is used to supply energy to or for a specific customer
40 that:
41 (i) has a generating capacity of:
42 (A) not more than 25 kilowatts for a residential facility; or
43 (B) not more than two megawatts for a non-residential facility, unless the governing
44 authority approves a greater generation capacity;
45 (ii) is located on, or adjacent to, the premises of the electrical corporation's customer,
46 subject to the electrical corporation's service requirements;
47 (iii) operates in parallel and is interconnected with the electrical corporation's
48 distribution facilities;
49 (iv) is intended primarily to offset part or all of the customer's requirements for
50 electricity; and
51 (v) is controlled by an inverter or switchgear; and
52 (b) includes an electric generator and its accompanying equipment package.
53 (4) "Eligible facility" means a facility that uses energy derived from one of the
54 following to generate electricity:
55 (a) solar photovoltaic and solar thermal energy;
56 (b) wind energy;
57 (c) hydrogen;
58 (d) organic waste;

59 (e) hydroelectric energy;
60 (f) waste gas and waste heat capture or recovery;
61 (g) biomass and biomass byproducts, except for the combustion of:
62 (i) wood that has been treated with chemical preservatives such as creosote,
63 pentachlorophenol, or chromated copper arsenate; or
64 (ii) municipal waste in a solid form;
65 (h) forest or rangeland woody debris from harvesting or thinning conducted to improve
66 forest or rangeland ecological health and to reduce wildfire risk;
67 (i) agricultural residues;
68 (j) dedicated energy crops;
69 (k) landfill gas or biogas produced from organic matter, wastewater, anaerobic
70 digesters, or municipal solid waste; or
71 (l) geothermal energy.
72 (5) "Equipment package" means a group of components connecting an electric
73 generator to an electric distribution system, including all interface equipment and the interface
74 equipment's controls, switchgear, inverter, and other interface devices.
75 (6) "Excess customer-generated electricity" means the amount of customer-generated
76 electricity in excess of the customer's consumption from the customer generation system during
77 a monthly billing period, as measured at the electrical corporation's meter.
78 (7) "Fuel cell" means a device in which the energy of a reaction between a fuel and an
79 oxidant is converted directly and continuously into electrical energy.
80 (8) "Governing authority" means:
81 (a) for a distribution electrical cooperative, its board of directors; and
82 (b) for each other electrical corporation, the Public Service Commission.
83 (9) "Inverter" means a device that:
84 (a) converts direct current power into alternating current power that is compatible with
85 power generated by an electrical corporation; and
86 (b) has been designed, tested, and UL certified to UL1741 and installed and operated in
87 accordance with IEEE1547 standards.
88 (10) "Net electricity" means the difference, as measured at the meter owned by the
89 electrical corporation between:

90 (a) the amount of electricity that an electrical corporation supplies to a customer
91 participating in a net metering program; and
92 (b) the amount of customer-generated electricity delivered to the electrical corporation.
93 (11) "Net metering" means measuring the amount of net electricity for the applicable
94 billing period.
95 (12) "Net metering program" means a program administered by an electrical
96 corporation whereby a customer with a customer generation system may:
97 (a) generate electricity primarily for the customer's own use;
98 (b) supply customer-generated electricity to the electrical corporation; and
99 (c) if net metering results in excess customer-generated electricity during a billing
100 period, receive a credit under Section 54-15-104 .
101 (13) "Switchgear" means the combination of electrical disconnects, fuses, or circuit
102 breakers:
103 (a) used to:
104 (i) isolate electrical equipment; and
105 (ii) de-energize equipment to allow work to be performed or faults downstream to be
106 cleared; and
107 (b) that is:
108 (i) designed, tested, and UL certified to UL1741; and
109 (ii) installed and operated in accordance with IEEE1547 standards.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-25-13 10:33 AM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

[Bill Documents]