FILED ON: 3/9/2012

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2176

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Twelve

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An Act improving net-metering in the commonwealth.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1: Subsection (f) of section 139 of chapter 164 of the general laws is hereby amended by striking out “1 per cent” in the first sentence and inserting in place thereof “3 per cent”.

SECTION 2: Subsection (f) of section 139 of chapter 164 is hereby further amended by striking out “2 per cent” in the second sentence and inserting in place thereof “3 per cent”.

SECTION 3: Section 139 of chapter 164 of the general laws is hereby amended by adding after subsection (g) the following section:-

(h) Subsection (f) shall not apply to a Class I net metering facility if:

1) the design generating capacity of the facility is equal to or less than 10 kilowatts on a single-phase circuit, or 25 kilowatts on a three-phase circuit, or;

2) the facility supplies no more than 100% of the customer’s average monthly kilowatt-hour usage over the course of a calendar year.

Facilities defined under this subsection shall apply for interconnection approval through a statewide standard agreement. The department shall develop such a standard interconnection agreement for projects qualifying under this subsection by January 1, 2013.

SECTION 4: Subsection (g) of section 139 of chapter 164 of the general laws is hereby amended by adding at the end of the first paragraph the following sentence:- The department shall adopt rules and regulations regarding the assurance of net metering eligibility by January 1, 2013.