CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5223

Chapter 235, Laws of 2019

66TH LEGISLATURE

2019 REGULAR SESSION

ELECTRIC UTILITIES--NET METERING

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 28, 2019

ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5223

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

BySenate Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Palumbo, Rivers, Rolfes, King, Carlyle, Mullet, McCoy, Wellman, Das, Nguyen, Randall, Frockt, Salomon, Keiser, Wilson, C., Kuderer, Darneille, Cleveland, Saldaña, Dhingra, Pedersen, Conway, and Van De Wege)

AN ACT Relating to net metering; amending RCW 80.60.010, 80.60.020, 80.60.030, 80.60.040, and 82.16.090; and adding a new section to chapter 19.27 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 80.60.010 and 2007 c 323 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

(1) "Commission" means the utilities and transportation commission.

(2) "Customer-generator" means a user of a net metering system.

(3) "Electrical company" means a company owned by investors that meets the definition of RCW 80.04.010.

(4) "Electric cooperative" means a cooperative or association organized under chapter 23.86 or 24.06 RCW.

(5) "Electric utility" means any electrical company, public utility district, irrigation district, port district, electric cooperative, or municipal electric utility that is engaged in the business of distributing electricity to retail electric customers in the state.

(6) "Irrigation district" means an irrigation district under chapter 87.03 RCW.

(7) "Meter aggregation" means the administrative combination of ((readings from and)) billing ((for all meters, regardless of the rate class, on premises owned or leased by a customer-generator located within the service territory of a single electric utility))net energy consumption from a designated net meter and eligible aggregated meter.

(8) "Municipal electric utility" means a city or town that owns or operates an electric utility authorized by chapter 35.92 RCW.

(9) "Net metering" means measuring the difference between the electricity supplied by an electric utility and the excess electricity generated by a customer-generator's net metering system over the applicable billing period.

(10) "Net metering system" means a fuel cell, a facility that produces electricity and used and useful thermal energy from a common fuel source, or a facility for the production of electrical energy that generates renewable energy, and that:

(a) Has an electrical generating AC capacity of not more than one hundred kilowatts;

(b) Is located on the customer-generator's premises;

(c) Operates in parallel with the electric utility's transmission and distribution facilities and is connected to the electric utility's distribution system; and

(d) Is intended primarily to offset part or all of the customer-generator's requirements for electricity.

(11) "Premises" means any residential property, commercial real estate, or lands, owned or leased by a customer-generator within the service area of a single electric utility.

(12) "Port district" means a port district within which an industrial development district has been established as authorized by Title 53 RCW.

(13) "Public utility district" means a district authorized by chapter 54.04 RCW.

(14) "Renewable energy" means energy generated by a facility that uses water, wind, solar energy, or biogas ((from animal waste)) as a fuel.

Sec. 2. RCW 80.60.020 and 2007 c 323 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) An electric utility:

(a) Shall offer to make net metering, pursuant to RCW 80.60.030, available to eligible ((customers-generators))customer-generators on a first-come, first-served basis until the ((cumulative generating capacity of net metering systems equals 0.25 percent of the utility's peak demand during 1996. On January 1, 2014, the cumulative generating capacity available to net metering systems will equal 0.5 percent of the utility's peak demand during 1996))earlier of either: (i) June 30, 2029; or (ii) the first date upon which the cumulative generating capacity of net metering systems equals four percent of the utility's peak demand during 1996. Not less than one-half of the utility's 1996 peak demand available for net metering systems shall be reserved for the cumulative generating capacity attributable to net metering systems that generate renewable energy;

(b) Shall allow net metering systems to be interconnected using a standard kilowatt-hour meter capable of registering the flow of electricity in two directions, unless the commission, in the case of an electrical company, or the appropriate governing body, in the case of other electric utilities, determines, after appropriate notice and opportunity for comment:

(i) That the use of additional metering equipment to monitor the flow of electricity in each direction is necessary and appropriate for the interconnection of net metering systems, after taking into account the benefits and costs of purchasing and installing additional metering equipment; and

(ii) How the cost of purchasing and installing an additional meter is to be allocated between the customer-generator and the utility;

(c) Shall charge the customer-generator a minimum monthly fee that is the same as other customers of the electric utility in the same rate class, but shall not charge the customer-generator any additional standby, capacity, interconnection, or other fee or charge unless the commission, in the case of an electrical company, or the appropriate governing body, in the case of other electric utilities, determines, after appropriate notice and opportunity for comment that:

(i) The electric utility will incur direct costs associated with interconnecting or administering net metering systems that exceed any offsetting benefits associated with these systems; and

(ii) Public policy is best served by imposing these costs on the customer-generator rather than allocating these costs among the utility's entire customer base.

(2) If a production meter and software is required by the electric utility to provide meter aggregation under RCW 80.60.030(4), the customer-generator is responsible for the purchase of the production meter and software.

Sec. 3. RCW 80.60.030 and 2007 c 323 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

Consistent with the other provisions of this chapter, the net energy measurement, billed charges for kilowatt-hour consumption, and credits for excess kilowatt-hour generation by a net metered system, must be calculated in the following manner:

(1) The electric utility shall measure the net electricity produced or consumed during the billing period, in accordance with normal metering practices.

(2) If the electricity supplied by the electric utility exceeds the electricity generated by the customer-generator's net metering system and fed back to the electric utility during the billing period, the customer-generator shall be billed for the net electricity supplied by the electric utility, in accordance with normal metering practices.

(3) If excess electricity generated by the ((customer-generator))net metering system during a billing period exceeds the electricity supplied by the electric utility during the same billing period, the customer-generator:

(a) Shall be billed for the appropriate customer charges for that billing period, in accordance with RCW 80.60.020; and

(b) Shall be credited for the excess kilowatt-hours generated during the billing period, with ((this kilowatt-hour credit))the credit for kilowatt-hours appearing on the bill for the following billing period.

(4) If a customer-generator requests, an electric utility shall provide such a customer-generator meter aggregation.

(a) For a customer-generator((s)) participating in meter aggregation, credits for kilowatt-hours ((credits)) earned by ((a))the customer-generator's net metering system during the billing period first shall be used to offset electricity supplied by the electric utility at the location of the customer-generator's designated meter.

(b) ((Not more than a total of one hundred kilowatts shall be aggregated among all customer-generators participating in a generating facility under this subsection.

(c)))A customer-generator may aggregate a designated meter with one additional aggregated meter located on the same parcel as the designated meter or a parcel that is contiguous with the parcel where the designated meter is located.

(e) Credits for excess kilowatt-hours ((credits)) earned by the net metering system((,))at the site of a designated meter during ((the same))a billing period((,)) shall be credited ((equally)) by the electric utility ((to remaining meters located on all premises of a customer-generator))for kilowatt hour charges due at the aggregated meter at the ((designated))applicable rate of ((each))the aggregated meter.

(((d)))(f) If credits generated in any billing period exceed total consumption for that billing period at both meters that are part of an aggregated arrangement, credits are retained pursuant to subsections (3) and (5) of this section.

(h) Meters so aggregated shall not change rate classes due to meter aggregation under this section.

(5) On ((April 30th))March 31st of each calendar year, any remaining unused ((kilowatt-hour credit))credits for kilowatt-hours accumulated during the previous year shall be granted to the electric utility, without any compensation to the customer-generator.

Sec. 4. RCW 80.60.040 and 2006 c 201 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A net metering system used by a customer-generator shall include, at the customer-generator's own expense, all equipment necessary to meet applicable safety, power quality, and interconnection requirements established by the national electrical code, national electrical safety code, the institute of electrical and electronics engineers, and underwriters laboratories.

(2) The commission, in the case of an electrical company, or the appropriate governing body, in the case of other electric utilities, after appropriate notice and opportunity for comment, may adopt by regulation additional safety, power quality, and interconnection requirements for customer-generators, including limitations on the number of customer-generators and total capacity of net metering systems that may be interconnected to any distribution feeder line, circuit, or network that the commission or governing body determines are necessary to protect public safety and system reliability.

(3) An electric utility may not require a customer-generator whose net metering system meets the standards in subsections (1) and (2) of this section to comply with additional safety or performance standards, perform or pay for additional tests, or purchase additional liability insurance. However, an electric utility shall not be liable directly or indirectly for permitting or continuing to allow an attachment of a net metering system, or for the acts or omissions of the customer-generator that cause loss or injury, including death, to any third party.

Sec. 5. RCW 82.16.090 and 1988 c 228 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any customer billing issued by a light or power business or gas distribution business that serves a total of more than twenty thousand customers and operates within the state shall include the following information:

(((1)))(a) The rates and amounts of taxes paid directly by the customer upon products or services rendered by the light and power business or gas distribution business; ((and

(2)))(b) The rate, origin and approximate amount of each tax levied upon the revenue of the light and power business or gas distribution business and added as a component of the amount charged to the customer. Taxes based upon revenue of the light and power business or gas distribution business to be listed on the customer billing need not include taxes levied by the federal government or taxes levied under chapters 54.28, 80.24, or 82.04 RCW; and

(2) A light or power business or gas distribution business that serves a total of more than twenty thousand customers and operates within the state may include information regarding rates over the most recent twelve-month period on any customer billing.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 19.27 RCW to read as follows:

The state building code council, in consultation with the department of commerce and local governments, shall conduct a study of the state building code and adopt changes necessary to encourage greater use of renewable energy systems as defined in RCW 82.16.110.

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