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91_SB0534 LRB9101672JSpc 1 AN ACT to amend the Public Utilities Act by adding 2 Section 16-107.5. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding 6 Section 16-107.5 as follows: 7 (220 ILCS 5/16-107.5 new) 8 Sec. 16-107.5. Legislative findings and declarations. 9 (a) The Legislature finds and declares that a program to 10 provide net energy metering for eligible customers can 11 encourage private investment in renewable energy resources, 12 stimulate economic growth, enhance the continued 13 diversification of Illinois' energy resource mix, and protect 14 the Illinois environment. 15 (b) As used in this Section: (i) an "eligible customer" 16 means a retail customer that owns and operates a solar or 17 wind electrical generating facility with a capacity of not 18 more than 40 kilowatts that is located on the customer's 19 premises and is intended primarily to offset part or all of 20 the customer's own electrical requirements and (ii) "net 21 energy metering" means the use of a net energy meter to 22 measure, during the billing period applicable to an eligible 23 customer, the net amount of electricity delivered by an 24 electric utility or provided to the electric utility by the 25 customer. 26 (c) An electric utility shall provide for the 27 interconnection of eligible customer generating equipment and 28 for net energy metering. 29 (d) An electric utility and an alternative retail 30 electric supplier shall use net energy metering to measure 31 and charge or credit for the net electricity supplied to -2- LRB9101672JSpc 1 eligible customers or provided by eligible customers 2 according to the following requirements: 3 (1) If the amount of electricity used by the 4 customer during the billing period exceeds the amount of 5 electricity produced by the customer, the electric 6 utility or alternative retail electric supplier shall 7 charge the customer for the net electricity supplied to 8 and used by the customer at the same rate applicable to 9 electricity provided by the electric utility or 10 alternative retail electric supplier to other residential 11 customers and small commercial retail customers. 12 (2) If the amount of electricity produced by a 13 customer during the billing period exceeds the amount of 14 electricity used by the customer, the electric utility or 15 alternative retail electric supplier supplying that 16 customer shall apply a credit to the next bill for 17 service to the customer for the net electricity produced 18 at the same rate applicable to electricity provided to 19 other residential customers and small commercial retail 20 customers. 21 (3) At the end of the year or annualized over the 22 period that service is supplied by means of net energy 23 metering, the electric utility or alternative retail 24 electric supplier supplying a customer shall promptly 25 issue payment at its avoided cost to the customer for the 26 value of any remaining credit for the excess electricity 27 provided by the customer during the year or over the 28 annualized period. 29 (e) Within 3 months after the effective date of this 30 amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, the Illinois 31 Commerce Commission shall establish standards for net energy 32 metering and the interconnection of solar and wind electric 33 generating equipment to the utility system if the Commission 34 determines that such standards are necessary for safe and -3- LRB9101672JSpc 1 adequate service and further the public policy set forth in 2 this Section. The standards may include, but shall not be 3 limited to, standards designating: 4 (1) equipment necessary to automatically isolate 5 the residential solar and wind generating system from the 6 utility system for voltage and frequency deviations; and 7 (2) a manual lockable disconnect switch provided by 8 the customer which shall be located on the outside of the 9 residence and externally accessible for the purpose of 10 isolating the solar and wind electric generating 11 equipment. 12 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 13 becoming law.