Net Metering Bills for 08/09

Senator Leland Yee introduced a bill, SB 1447 on solar buyback and net metering. However, this bill is a spot bill, a statement of intent to do a bill on this subject. His offices intends to evaluate other bills on net metering to see if they are likely to stall; and in that case he will move this bill forward.

1447 is more specific to make it easier to pass. Yee wants to get past the Governor consumer protection of RECs and the PG&E utility's attempt to collar the credits. 1447 is only focused on local government for now, but could end up including schools if we ask. The governor's 2007 veto of SB451 message addressed AB 1969 (Yee 2005) on purchases of renewable power from agencies like water and waste which was expanded by the CPUC to include small producers. The governor suggested in the veto applying a proportional share of carbon emission reduction credits to the utility.

Conclusion- 1447 should include school districts, and maybe, in keeping with the Davis theme, the CA universities. The Davis theme is the basis of all the net metering discussion. It was the first bill by Senator Byron Sher in 2002, SB 1038, to allow UC Davis to have one generation facility that could offset their meters on all other facilities. The specific language of net metering in SB 1038 reads: This bill authorizes the City of Davis to receive a bill credit, as
defined, to a benefiting account, as defined for electricity supplied to the electrical grid by a photovoltaic facility located within and partially owned by the city (PVUSA). The bill would require the commission to adopt a rate tariff for the benefiting account.

NOTE- ONLY for Davis and ONLY for photovoltaic facilities.

Assembly member Huffman has also introduced a bill on this subject AB 1920. This bill has actual language and looks good. Its the bill that Yee is watching to see if 1447 is necessary.

Huffman's bill seems to take into account proportional credit sharing. It also seems to address AB 1223 (Arambula) 2006/7 bill on excess metering for agriculture (and note the background bills on "net metering") which would have allowed agriculture to utilize net metering; i.e. one-site production of renewable energy to offset costs at other sites. This bill stalled on T&D opposition from PG&E.

AB 1920 has a description on Huffman's web site which reads:
AB 1920 (Huffman): Renewable Energy Incentives – Net Metering
Enables residents who produce renewable energy for their homes, small businesses or farms to get paid by their utility company for any excess electricity they produce that goes back on the grid. Level of compensation to be determined by the Public Utilities Commission. Provides utilities with Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) credits for purchasing the renewable energy from their customers. Removes the “size to load” restriction in state law that limits energy customers’ ability to “supersize” their solar electricity systems.