Senate energy committee advances bill to include advanced nuclear, expand community solar and net metering
Loading...
Summary
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted to pass SB 111 as amended after debate on provisions that would define advanced nuclear resources, allow multi-year power purchase agreements and expand community solar and group net metering caps.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted to advance SB 111 as amended during a committee hearing, approving changes that add “advanced nuclear resources” to the state's energy definitions, permit multi-year power purchase agreements and expand community solar and group net metering limits.
Senator Pearl, who moved the committee amendment, summarized the bill’s scope: “It defines advanced nuclear resources and includes, options alongside with renewable energy sources for utility services,” and said the measure “allows the Department of Energy or the electric distribution utilities, or both, to issue requests for RFPs for multiple year agreements for energy, in conjunction with or independent of any attendant environmental attributes from electric energy source sources and coordinates with 1 or more New England states in issuing the RFP.”
Why it matters: supporters said the bill aims to modernize procurement tools for utilities and expand access to community solar for low- and moderate-income customers. The amendment raises the annual cap for low- and moderate-income community solar projects from 6 megawatts to 12 megawatts and increases certain host-size limits that affect who can participate in group net metering.
Provisions discussed included: defining advanced nuclear resources alongside renewable options; authorizing multi-year requests for proposals by the Department of Energy or distribution utilities; expanding the annual low/moderate-income community solar cap from 6 megawatts to 12 megawatts; and allowing group net metering members to sign agreements with multiple group hosts so long as combined allocated loads do not exceed total load. Senator Pearl called the changes “long term thinking,” and said they provide both “immediate relief” in net-metering limits and a longer-term procurement framework.
Not all committee members supported the procurement provisions. Senator Rosenwald spoke in opposition to the long-term power purchase agreement authority on financial-risk grounds, saying, “my worry about the long term power purchase agreements is so strong from a financial perspective that I won't be voting for it... I think it's taking a big financial risk for the rate payers.” Rosenwald said she would not fight the measure on the floor but opposed the committee vote on policy grounds.
The committee approved the committee amendment and moved the bill out of committee as amended by voice vote; the transcript records committee members answering “Aye” but does not list a roll-call tally in the hearing record.
The bill now moves to the next step in the legislative process with the committee’s recommendation that it pass as amended.
Notes: the transcript references coordination with other New England states and procurement tools for utilities; it also records debate about expanding community solar and group net metering rules and a dissenting view about financial risk to ratepayers.
