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Energy:
Net Metering Programs

Our Position: support
Bill Number: sb84s1
Sponsor: Kevin T. VanTassell (R-Vernal)
Legislative Session: 2008 General Session

First Substitute SB 84 expands provisions allowing the net metering of electricity for an electrical corporation's customers.   Net metering allows customers to sell back excess electricity generated, for example, by a customer's solar photo-voltaic panels.

Status

On March 3rd, the house voted 65-0-10 to pass the bill.  Now it goes to the governor for his signature.

VanTassell's bill was assigned to the House Revenue and Taxation Committee which did not get to the bill during its 2/25 meeting.  It is scheduled for consideration by the same committee during its 2/26 meeting.

First Substitute SB 84 was substituted for SB 84 on Feb 19th and passed without dissent (26-0-3) by the senate on the 2nd reading calendar. The substitute bill includes a better and more precise definition of the types of generation permitted for electricity sold back to the grid through net metering.

The Senate Rules Committee assigned SB 84 to the Senate Transportation, Public Utilities and Technology Committee on February 5th.  

On 2/08/08 the committee amended the bill and reported it favorably to the full senate on a 3-0-3 vote.  The three senators below voted correctly on this bill.

 

Sen. Carlene M. Walker, Chair

Sen. Scott K. Jenkins

2/20/08 Passed the Senate with a 25-0-4 vote.
 

Sen. Kevin T. VanTassell

 

 

 

 

Action Needed

Please send a message to Governor Jon Huntsman asking for his signature on First Substitute SB 84.  You can send him a message on his website.

More information

Read the text of First Substitute SB 84.

Contact

Find your representative or senator with the legislative district maps.

Background

Net metering programs serve as an important incentive for consumer investment in renewable energy generation. Net metering enables customers to use their own generation to offset their consumption over a billing period by allowing their electric meters to turn backwards when they generate electricity in excess of the their demand. This offset means that customers receive retail prices for the excess electricity they generate.

SB 84 makes the following changes:

  • Increases the system cap for non-residential systems to 2 Megawatts (MW), from the current cap of 25 kilowatts (kW), and allows the governing authority to exceed the 2 MW limit through rules.  The residential system cap remains at the current 25 kW limit.
  • Expands the types of renewable energy systems available for net metering to include: solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, landfill gas, digester gas, fuel cells, cogeneration (or combined heat and power).
  • Changes the calendar year (Jan – Dec) to an annualized billing period (April – March), allowing customers to roll-over excess credits month-to-month during the annualized billing period.  This change allows customers to benefit from seasonal variations of certain renewable energy systems.  
  • Allows net metered systems to be controlled by an inverter and/or switchgear.
  • Allows customer-owned and customer-leased generation systems to be eligible for net metering.

Thanks to Utah Clean Energy for the preceding summary.

     
     

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