HB1011 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 08711 MJR 28894 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB1011

Introduced 2/8/2007, by Rep. Naomi D. Jakobsson

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

220 ILCS 5/16-107.5 new

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Requires electric utilities and alternative retail electric suppliers to provide net energy metering capabilities for their retail customers that own and operate solar or wind electrical generating facilities. Provides that net production by a customer shall be credited to its bill at the same rate the electric utility or alternative retail electrical supplier charges for electricity provided to the customer. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning regulation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding Section 16-107.5 as follows:

(220 ILCS 5/16-107.5 new)

Sec. 16-107.5. Legislative findings and declarations.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that a program to provide net energy metering for eligible customers can encourage private investment in renewable energy resources, stimulate economic growth, enhance the continued diversification of Illinois' energy resource mix, and protect the Illinois environment.

(b) As used in this Section: (i) an "eligible customer" means a retail customer that owns and operates a solar or wind electrical generating facility with a capacity of not more than 40 kilowatts that is located on the customer's premises and is intended primarily to offset part or all of the customer's own electrical requirements and (ii) "net energy metering" means the use of a net energy meter to measure, during the billing period applicable to an eligible customer, the net amount of electricity delivered by an electric utility or provided to the electric utility by the customer.

(c) An electric utility shall provide for the interconnection of eligible customer generating equipment and for net energy metering.

(d) An electric utility and an alternative retail electric supplier shall use net energy metering to measure and charge or credit for the net electricity supplied to eligible customers or provided by eligible customers according to the following requirements:

(1) If the amount of electricity used by the customer during the billing period exceeds the amount of electricity produced by the customer, the electric utility or alternative retail electric supplier shall charge the customer for the net electricity supplied to and used by the customer at the same rate applicable to electricity provided by the electric utility or alternative retail electric supplier to other residential customers and small commercial retail customers.

(2) If the amount of electricity produced by a customer during the billing period exceeds the amount of electricity used by the customer, the electric utility or alternative retail electric supplier supplying that customer shall apply a credit to the next bill for service to the customer for the net electricity produced at the same rate applicable to electricity provided to other residential customers and small commercial retail customers.

(3) At the end of the year or annualized over the period that service is supplied by means of net energy metering, the electric utility or alternative retail electric supplier supplying a customer shall promptly issue payment at its avoided cost to the customer for the value of any remaining credit for the excess electricity provided by the customer during the year or over the annualized period.

(e) Within 3 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, the Illinois Commerce Commission shall establish standards for net energy metering and the interconnection of solar and wind electric generating equipment to the utility system if the Commission determines that such standards are necessary for safe and adequate service and further the public policy set forth in this Section. The standards may include, but shall not be limited to, standards designating:

(1) equipment necessary to automatically isolate the residential solar and wind generating system from the utility system for voltage and frequency deviations; and

(2) a manual lockable disconnect switch provided by the customer which shall be located on the outside of the residence and externally accessible for the purpose of isolating the solar and wind electric generating equipment.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.