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Solar Energy Happenings
Below are some solar energy happening at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities or BPU:
Board Staff is holding a virtual informational session on December 17, 2024 at 10am to discuss the design of the Dual-Use Solar Energy Pilot Program. More information, including the zoom meeting registration link, is provided in the Public Notice.
On December 6, 2024 stakeholders submitted comments to the BPU regarding its proposed amendments to the community solar permanent program rules, which include allowing local governments to have municipal community solar automatic enrollment projects by contracting with existing community solar projects located in the same EDC service territory, and allowing the Board to set a minimum guaranteed bill credit discount applicable to subscribers automatically enrolled to a municipal automatic enrollment project. (BPU Docket No. QX23070434)
On December 6, 2024 the Board also received stakeholder comments regarding its re-proposal of amendments to the CSI program. Specifically, Board Staff is re-proposing amendments to the permitting requirements for CSI registrants, revisions to the confidential price cap based on an updated assessment of market conditions, allowing Board discretion to award bids above the confidential price caps, and allowing the Board to adjust MW targets per tranche. (BPU Docket No. QX22100653)
On November 19, 2024, the BPU held a meeting regarding Net Metering for Class I Renewable Energy Systems. A recording of this meeting is available here and the slides are available here. The workshop presented a review of net metering policies and reforms undertaken in other states and introduced upcoming stakeholder proceedings and opportunities for comment. The next step in this proceeding will be a technical conference on January 21, 2025. (BPU Docket No. QO24090723)
BPU Staff held a virtual public meeting regarding the one-year check-up of the Community Solar Energy Program on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. The meeting will be soliciting stakeholder feedback on whether to adjust the incentive levels or capacity blocks in the CSEP within the Administratively Determined Incentive Program and to make other changes in response to the initial program experience. More information is provided in the Public Notice. Stakeholder comments are due by December 16, 2024. (BPU Docket No. QO22030153)
Board Staff has invited stakeholders to provide written responses to a Request for Information (“RFI”) prior to the third solicitation of the Competitive Solar Incentive (“CSI”) Program. The Board anticipates opening the third solicitation of the CSI Program to prequalification applications on January 22, 2025, with the solicitation window closing to bids on April 16, 2025. Due to potential changes in federal policy regarding renewable energy, Staff seek stakeholder input on specific adjustments to tranches and project timelines prior to opening the third solicitation of the CSI Program. The deadline for comments is December 16, 2024. (BPU Docket No. QO21101186)
The Board published a proposed rulemaking to amend its existing solar energy rules to establish the Dual-Use Solar Energy Pilot Program and to integrate it with the larger Successor Solar Incentive (SuSI) Program. The Pilot Program is designed to incorporate dual-use solar facilities, also known as agrivoltaics, and provide incentives within the SuSI Program, which serves as the permanent program for providing solar incentives to qualified solar electric generation facilities.
The proposal is available on the Board’s website at www.nj.gov/bpu/agenda/rules. The proposal also may be accessed within BPU Docket No. QX24080597. The deadline for written comments on this proposed rulemaking is January 31, 2025.
