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MA DPU Net Metering Rules Expand Net Metering To Government Facilities, Certain Users Exempt From Program Generation Caps, And Enable Net Metering Transfer Credits Between Utility Territories And ISO-NE Load Zones.
Re: Investigation by the Department of Public Utilities, On Its Own Motion, Instituting a Rulemaking Pursuant to the Acts of 2021, c. 8, §§ 82-85, G.L. c. 30A, § 2, and 220 CMR 2.00 to Amend the Net Metering Regulations at 220 CMR 18.00.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) issued an order revising the state’s Net Metering Program regulations. The new regulations will allow for municipal and state-owned to take advantage of net metering, the transfer of net metering credits between utilities, exemptions for large commercial solar facilities from caps, and restructure cost recovery to save ratepayers an estimated $10 million.
Modifications to the Net Metering Program include:
- Municipal or state-owned facilities that generate 60 kilowatts (kW) or less can now qualify under the public cap of the Net Metering Program;
- New ability to transfer net metering credits from certain net metering facilities served by one utility to customers of a different Massachusetts electric distribution company (EDC);
- Exempts facilities that serve on-site load and are larger than 60 kW and less than or equal to 2,000 kW (if private) or 10,000 kW (if public) from the net metering caps (for example commercial rooftop or adjacent parking lot canopy); and
- Changes to the treatment of the Net Metering Recovery Surcharge (NMRS) to reduce costs of the program to ratepayers.
- The Massachusetts rules excludes batteries and other on-premise energy storage systems from the definition of “onsite load,” the new net metering cap exemptions for onsite generation could benefit commercial users looking to add behind-the-meter generation capacity,
- By lifting the net metering cap exemption for private behind-the-meter generation from the current 25-kW limit to 2,000 kW immediately can improve behind-the-meter project economics for businesses in utility territories, where net metering capacity is fully subscribed.
- The DPU’s rules allow even higher net metering caps for state and municipal facilities — up to 10,000 kW per site, enough to power about 1,700 U.S. homes, per the Solar Energy Industries Association.
Press Release (02/15/2024)
Order (02/15/2024)
Initial Order (07/08/2022)
21-100-A (07/08/2022)
