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                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 1668

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 1203 Session of 2007


        INTRODUCED BY HORNAMAN, GEORGE, DePASQUALE, GERBER, McCALL,
           CALTAGIRONE, CONKLIN, DeWEESE, EACHUS, GIBBONS, HARHAI,
           HARKINS, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KORTZ, MAHONEY, MANDERINO, McGEEHAN,
           MUNDY, M. O'BRIEN, PRESTON, SAINATO, SHIMKUS, STABACK, SURRA,
           TANGRETTI, THOMAS, VITALI, YUDICHAK, CURRY, FREEMAN,
           K. SMITH, GOODMAN, BENNINGTON AND M. SMITH, MAY 24, 2007

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
           MAY 24, 2007

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of November 30, 2004 (P.L.1672, No.213),
     2     entitled, "An act providing for the sale of electric energy
     3     generated from renewable and environmentally beneficial
     4     sources, for the acquisition of electric energy generated
     5     from renewable and environmentally beneficial sources by
     6     electric distribution and supply companies and for the powers
     7     and duties of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission,"
     8     further providing for the definition of "force majeure," for
     9     alternative energy portfolio standards, for portfolio
    10     requirements in other states and for interconnection
    11     standards for customer-generator facilities.

    12     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    13  hereby enacts as follows:
    14     Section 1.  The definition of "force majeure" in section 2 of
    15  the act of November 30, 2004 (P.L.1672, No.213), known as the
    16  Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, is amended to read:
    17  Section 2.  Definitions.
    18     The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
    19  have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
    20  context clearly indicates otherwise:

     1     * * *
     2     "Force majeure."  Upon its own initiative or upon a request
     3  of an electric distribution company or an electric generator
     4  supplier, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, within 60
     5  days, shall determine if alternative energy resources are
     6  reasonably available in the marketplace in sufficient quantities
     7  for the electric distribution companies and electric generation
     8  suppliers to meet their obligations for that reporting period
     9  under this act. In making this determination the commission
    10  shall consider whether electric distribution companies or
    11  electric generation suppliers have made a good faith effort to
    12  acquire sufficient alternative energy to comply with their
    13  obligations. Such good faith efforts shall include, but are not
    14  limited to, banking alternative energy credits during their
    15  transition periods, seeking alternative energy credits through
    16  competitive solicitations and seeking to procure alternative
    17  energy credits or alternative energy through long-term
    18  contracts. In further making its determination the commission
    19  shall assess the availability of alternative energy credits in
    20  the Generation Attributes Tracking System (GATS) or its
    21  successor, and the availability of alternative energy credits
    22  generally in Pennsylvania and other jurisdictions in the PJM
    23  Interconnection, L.L.C. regional transmission organization (PJM)
    24  or its successor. The commission may also require solicitations
    25  for alternative energy credits as part of default service before
    26  requests of force majeure can be made. If the commission further
    27  determines that alternative energy resources are not reasonably
    28  available in sufficient quantities in the marketplace for the
    29  electric distribution companies and electric generation
    30  suppliers to meet their obligations under this act, then the
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     1  commission shall modify the underlying obligation of the
     2  electric distribution company or electric generation supplier or
     3  recommend to the General Assembly that the underlying obligation
     4  be eliminated.
     5     * * *
     6     Section 2.  Sections 3(b) and (f), 4 and 5 of the act are
     7  amended to read:
     8  Section 3.  Alternative energy portfolio standards.
     9     * * *
    10     (b)  Tier I and solar photovoltaic shares.--
    11         (1)  Two years after the effective date of this act, at
    12     least 1.5% of the electric energy sold by an electric
    13     distribution company or electric generation supplier to
    14     retail electric customers in this Commonwealth shall be
    15     generated from Tier I alternative energy sources. Except as
    16     provided in this section, the minimum percentage of electric
    17     energy required to be sold to retail electric customers from
    18     alternative energy sources shall increase to 2% three years
    19     after the effective date of this act. The minimum percentage
    20     of electric energy required to be sold to retail electric
    21     customers from alternative energy sources shall increase by
    22     at least 0.5% each year so that at least 8% of the electric
    23     energy sold by an electric distribution company or electric
    24     generation supplier to retail electric customers in that
    25     certificated territory in the 15th year after the effective
    26     date of this subsection is sold from Tier I alternative
    27     energy resources.
    28         (2)  Of the electric energy required to be sold from Tier
    29     I sources, the total percentage that must be sold from solar
    30     photovoltaic technologies is [for]:
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     1             [(i)  Years 1 through 4 - 0.0013%.
     2             (ii)  Years 5 through 9 - 0.0203%.
     3             (iii)  Years 10 through 14 - 0.2500%.
     4             (iv)  Years 15 and thereafter - 0.5000%.]
     5             (i)  0.0013% for June 1, 2006, through May 31, 2007.
     6             (ii)  0.0030% for June 1, 2007, through May 31, 2008.
     7             (iii)  0.0063% for June 1, 2008, through May 31,
     8         2009.
     9             (iv)  0.0120% for June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010.
    10             (v)  0.0203% for June 1, 2010, through May 31, 2011.
    11             (vi)  0.0325% for June 1, 2011, through May 31, 2012.
    12             (vii)  0.0510% for June 1, 2012, through May 31,
    13         2013.
    14             (viii)  0.0840% for June 1, 2013, through May 31,
    15         2014.
    16             (ix)  0.1440% for June 1, 2014, through May 31, 2015.
    17             (x)  0.2500% for June 1, 2015, through May 31, 2016.
    18             (xi)  0.2933% for June 1, 2016, through May 31, 2017.
    19             (xii)  0.3400% for June 1, 2017, through May 31,
    20         2018.
    21             (xiii)  0.3900% for June 1, 2018, through May 31,
    22         2019.
    23             (xiv)  0.4433% for June 1, 2019, through May 31,
    24         2020.
    25             (xv)  0.5000% for June 1, 2020, through May 31, 2021.
    26     The percentages in this paragraph shall apply to all retail
    27     electricity sales in this Commonwealth.
    28         (3)  Upon commencement of the beginning of the 6th
    29     reporting year, the commission shall undertake a review of
    30     the compliance by electric distribution companies and
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     1     electric generation suppliers with the requirements of this
     2     act. The review shall also include the status of alternative
     3     energy technologies within this Commonwealth and the capacity
     4     to add additional alternative energy resources. The
     5     commission shall use the results of this review to recommend
     6     to the General Assembly additional compliance goals beyond
     7     year 15. The commission shall work with the department in
     8     evaluating the future alternative energy resource potential.
     9     * * *
    10     (f)  Alternative compliance payment.--
    11         (1)  At the end of each program year, the program
    12     administrator shall provide a report to the commission and to
    13     each covered electric distribution company showing their
    14     status level of alternative energy acquisition.
    15         (2)  The commission shall conduct a review of each
    16     determination made under subsections (b) and (c). If, after
    17     notice and hearing, the commission determines that an
    18     electric distribution company or electric generation supplier
    19     has failed to comply with subsections (b) and (c), the
    20     commission shall impose an alternative compliance payment on
    21     that company or supplier.
    22         (3)  The alternative compliance payment, with the
    23     exception of the solar photovoltaic share compliance
    24     requirement set forth in subsection (b)(2), shall be $45
    25     times the number of additional alternative energy credits
    26     needed in order to comply with subsection (b) or (c).
    27         (4)  The alternative compliance payment for the solar
    28     photovoltaic share shall be 200% of the average market value
    29     of solar renewable energy credits sold during the reporting
    30     period within the service region of the regional transmission
    20070H1203B1668                  - 5 -     

     1     organization, including, where applicable, the levelized up-
     2     front rebates received by sellers of solar renewable energy
     3     credits in other jurisdictions in the PJM Interconnection,
     4     L.L.C. transmission organization (PJM) or its successor.
     5         (5)  The commission shall establish a process to provide
     6     for, at least annually, a review of the alternative energy
     7     market within this Commonwealth and the service territories
     8     of the regional transmission organizations that manage the
     9     transmission system in any part of this Commonwealth. The
    10     commission will use the results of this study to identify any
    11     needed changes to the cost associated with the alternative
    12     compliance payment program. If the commission finds that the
    13     costs associated with the alternative compliance payment
    14     program must be changed, the commission shall present these
    15     findings to the General Assembly for legislative enactment.
    16     * * *
    17  Section 4.  Portfolio requirements in other states.
    18     If an electric distribution supplier or electric generation
    19  company provider sells electricity in any other state and is
    20  subject to renewable energy portfolio requirements in that
    21  state, they shall list any such requirement and shall indicate
    22  how it satisfied those renewable energy portfolio requirements.
    23  To prevent double-counting, the electric distribution supplier
    24  or electric generation company shall not satisfy Pennsylvania's
    25  alternative energy portfolio requirements using alternative
    26  energy used to satisfy another state's portfolio requirements[.
    27  Energy derived only from alternative energy sources inside the
    28  geographical boundaries of this Commonwealth or within the
    29  service territory of any regional transmission organization that
    30  manages the transmission system in any part of this Commonwealth
    20070H1203B1668                  - 6 -     

     1  shall be eligible to meet the compliance requirements under this
     2  act.] or alternative energy credits already purchased by
     3  individuals, businesses, or government bodies that do not have a
     4  compliance obligation under this act unless the individual,
     5  business or government body sells those credits to the electric
     6  distribution company or electric generation supplier. Energy
     7  derived from alternative energy sources inside the geographical
     8  boundaries of this Commonwealth shall be eligible to meet the
     9  compliance requirements under this act. Energy derived from
    10  alternative energy sources located outside the geographical
    11  boundaries of this Commonwealth but within the service territory
    12  of a regional transmission organization that manages the
    13  transmission system in any part of this Commonwealth shall only
    14  be eligible to meet the compliance requirements of electric
    15  distribution companies or electric generation suppliers located
    16  within the service territory of the same regional transmission
    17  organization. For purposes of compliance with this act,
    18  alternative energy sources located in the PJM Interconnection,
    19  L.L.C. regional transmission organization (PJM) or its successor
    20  service territory shall be eligible to fulfill compliance
    21  obligations of Pike County Light and Power Company and
    22  Pennsylvania Power Company. Energy derived from alternative
    23  energy sources located outside the service territory of a
    24  regional transmission organization that manages the transmission
    25  system in any part of this Commonwealth shall not be eligible to
    26  meet the compliance requirements of this act. Electric
    27  distribution companies and electric generation suppliers shall
    28  document that this energy was not used to satisfy another
    29  state's renewable energy portfolio standards.
    30  Section 5.  Interconnection standards for customer-generator
    20070H1203B1668                  - 7 -     

     1                 facilities.
     2     Excess generation from net-metered customer-generators shall
     3  be "trued-up" on an annual basis. The commission shall develop
     4  technical and net metering interconnection rules for customer-
     5  generators intending to operate renewable onsite generators in
     6  parallel with the electric utility grid, consistent with rules
     7  defined in other states within the service region of the
     8  regional transmission organization that manages the transmission
     9  system in any part of this Commonwealth. The commission shall
    10  convene a stakeholder process to develop Statewide technical and
    11  net metering rules for customer-generators. The commission shall
    12  develop these rules within nine months of the effective date of
    13  this act.
    14     Section 3.  This act shall take effect immediately.











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