[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1723 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1723
To amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to promote
safe and reliable interconnection and net billing for community solar
facilities.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 9, 2015
Mr. Heinrich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to promote
safe and reliable interconnection and net billing for community solar
facilities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting Renewable Energy with
Shared Solar Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. PROVISION OF INTERCONNECTION SERVICE AND NET BILLING SERVICE
FOR COMMUNITY SOLAR FACILITIES.
(a) In General.--Section 111(d) of the Public Utility Regulatory
Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2621(d)) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``(20) Community solar facilities.--
``(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
``(i) Community solar facility.--The term
`community solar facility' means a solar
photovoltaic system that--
``(I) allocates electricity to
multiple individual electric consumers
of an electric utility;
``(II) has a nameplate rating of 2
megawatts or less; and
``(III) is--
``(aa) owned by the
electric utility, jointly
owned, or third-party-owned;
``(bb) connected to a local
distribution facility of the
electric utility; and
``(cc) located on or off
the property of a consumer of
the electricity.
``(ii) Interconnection service.--The term
`interconnection service' means a service
provided by an electric utility to an electric
consumer, in accordance with the standards
described in paragraph (15), through which a
community solar facility is connected to an
applicable local distribution facility.
``(iii) Net billing service.--The term `net
billing service' means a service provided by an
electric utility to an electric consumer
through which electric energy generated for
that electric consumer from a community solar
facility may be used to offset electric energy
provided by the electric utility to the
electric consumer during the applicable billing
period.
``(B) Requirement.--On receipt of a request of an
electric consumer served by the electric utility, each
electric utility shall make available to the electric
consumer interconnection service and net billing
service for a community solar facility.''.
(b) Compliance.--
(1) Time limitations.--Section 112(b) of the Public Utility
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2622(b)) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
``(7)(A) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this paragraph, each State regulatory authority (with
respect to each electric utility for which the State has
ratemaking authority) and each nonregulated utility shall
commence consideration under section 111, or set a hearing date
for consideration, with respect to the standard established by
paragraph (20) of section 111(d).
``(B) Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of
this paragraph, each State regulatory authority (with respect
to each electric utility for which the State has ratemaking
authority), and each nonregulated electric utility shall
complete the consideration and make the determination under
section 111 with respect to the standard established by
paragraph (20) of section 111(d).''.
(2) Failure to comply.--
(A) In general.--Section 112(c) of the Public
Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C.
2622(c)) is amended--
(i) by striking ``such paragraph (14)'' and
all that follows through ``paragraphs (16)''
and inserting ``such paragraph (14). In the
case of the standard established by paragraph
(15) of section 111(d), the reference contained
in this subsection to the date of enactment of
this Act shall be deemed to be a reference to
the date of enactment of that paragraph (15).
In the case of the standards established by
paragraphs (16)''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``In the case of the standard established by
paragraph (20) of section 111(d), the reference
contained in this subsection to the date of
enactment of this Act shall be deemed to be a
reference to the date of enactment of that
paragraph (20).''.
(B) Technical correction.--
(i) In general.--Section 1254(b) of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58;
119 Stat. 971) is amended by striking paragraph
(2).
(ii) Treatment.--The amendment made by
paragraph (2) of section 1254(b) of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58; 119
Stat. 971) (as in effect on the day before the
date of enactment of this Act) is void, and
section 112(d) of the Public Utility Regulatory
Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2622(d)) shall
be in effect as if those amendments had not
been enacted.
(3) Prior state actions.--
(A) In general.--Section 112 of the Public Utility
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2622) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(g) Prior State Actions.--Subsections (b) and (c) shall not apply
to the standard established by paragraph (20) of section 111(d) in the
case of any electric utility in a State if, before the date of
enactment of this subsection--
``(1) the State has implemented for the electric utility
the standard (or a comparable standard);
``(2) the State regulatory authority for the State or the
relevant nonregulated electric utility has conducted a
proceeding to consider implementation of the standard (or a
comparable standard) for the electric utility; or
``(3) the State legislature has voted on the implementation
of the standard (or a comparable standard) for the electric
utility.''.
(B) Cross-reference.--Section 124 of the Public
Utility Regulatory Policy Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2634)
is amended by adding at the end the following: ``In the
case of the standard established by paragraph (20) of
section 111(d), the reference contained in this
subsection to the date of enactment of this Act shall
be deemed to be a reference to the date of enactment of
that paragraph (20).''.
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