West Virginia
Incentives/Policies for Renewables & Efficiency
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Last DSIRE Review: 07/02/2009
| Incentive Type: |
Net Metering |
| State: |
West Virginia |
| Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies: |
Photovoltaics,
Landfill Gas,
Wind,
Biomass,
Hydroelectric,
Fuel Cells,
Small Hydroelectric
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| Applicable Sectors: |
Commercial,
Residential
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| Applicable Utilities: | All utilities |
| System Capacity Limit: | 25 kW |
| Aggregate Capacity Limit: | 0.1% of utility's total load participation (utility tariff provision) |
| Net Excess Generation: | Credited to customer's next bill at retail rate |
| REC Ownership: | Not addressed |
| Meter Aggregation: | Not addressed |
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Authority 1:
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West Virginia PSC Order, Case No. 06-0708-E-GI
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| Date Enacted: | 12/12/2006 |
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Authority 2:
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West Virginia PSC Order, Case No. 06-0708-E-GI
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| Date Enacted: | 1/26/2007 |
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Authority 3:
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HB 103
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| Date Enacted: | 06/02/2009 |
| Date Effective: | 07/01/2009 |
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Summary:
The West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) approved consensus filings regarding net metering and interconnection guidelines in December 2006. The approved consensus provisions include proposed rules that apply to all electric utilities in the state. Utility tariffs incorporating the consensus net-metering provisions took effect in March 2007.
The approved consensus for net metering applies to residential and commercial systems up to 25 kilowatts (kW) in capacity that generate electricity using photovoltaics (PV), wind, biomass, landfill gas, hydropower or fuel cells. Net excess generation (NEG) will be carried over to a customer-generator's next bill, for up to 12 months, as a kilowatt-hour (kWh) credit. Net-metering tariffs must be identical in rate structure, retail-rate components, and monthly charges, to the contract or tariff for which the customer would qualify if that customer were not a customer-generator. Customers on a time-of-use (TOU) tariff are permitted to net meter.
Each net-metered customer-generator must carry a minimum of $100,000 in liability insurance; utilities may not require customers to carry additional liability insurance. No contracts or tariffs may require customers to (1) comply with any additional safety or performance standards beyond those established by the NEC, IEEE, UL, PSC rules and the standard wiring rules and customer requirements for electric service for each utility; or (2) perform or pay for any additional tests, if the system is pre-certified as complying with technical standards.
Net metering is accomplished using a single, bi-directional meter. However, a customer must pay for such a meter if one is not already in place. Although the consensus provisions do not include an aggregate cap on net-metered systems, each utility's tariff will limit the aggregate capacity to 0.1% of the utility's total load participation. An external disconnect switch is required.
Legislation passed in June 2009 directs the PSC to consider changing net metering in the state; specifically it directs the PSC to consider raising the net metering limit to up to 500 kW for commercial customers and up to 2 MW for industrial customers. It also directs the PSC to adopt a rule requiring electric utilities (excluding cooperatives, municipal utilities, and utilities serves fewer than 30,000 customers) to provide a "rebate or discount at fair value," to customer-generators for any excess generation delivered to the utility and consider the same rules for all utilities (including cooperatives, municipal utilities, and utilities serving fewer than 30,000 customers). The PSC shall promulgate its corresponding rules by July 1, 2010.
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Please note: The information on the DSIRE web site provides an overview of incentives and other policies, but it should not be used as the only source of information when making purchasing decisions, investment decisions, tax decisions or other binding agreements. Please refer to the individual contact provided in each record to verify that a specific incentive or other policy is applicable to your specific project.
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