HB 889

Abstract

Electric utilities; retail competition; pilot program. Requires the State Corporation Commission to conduct a pilot program under which two or more certain nonresidential customers within the service territory of Dominion Energy Virginia, are permitted to purchase electric energy from any supplier of electric energy licensed to sell electric energy within the Commonwealth. The aggregated load participating in the pilot program is limited to 200 megawatts.

Electric utilities; retail competition. Shortens from five years to three years the period that a customer who switches from an investor-owned electric utility to a licensed competing supplier is barred from returning as a customer of the utility. The measure provides that if a single person purchases electric energy from a licensed supplier and such electric energy is composed of a percentage of renewable energy equal to or greater than the percentages of the renewable energy portfolio standard program goals as of January 1, 2020, and no less than the percentage of renewable energy that the licensed supplier is required to provide pursuant to any renewable energy portfolio standard that is subsequently established, such person will constitute a single retail customer, notwithstanding that service is provided to noncontiguous sites. Under current law, for the purposes of purchasing energy from a licensed competing supplier, noncontiguous sites are considered individual retail customers and cannot be aggregated to meet the energy demand threshold regardless of common ownership or control. The measure provides that for cooperative customers the lockout period remains five years and noncontiguous sites are still considered individual retail customers. The measure also allows individual retail customers of an electric utility to purchase electric energy provided 100 percent from renewable energy from any licensed supplier. The measure eliminates the condition that permits such purchases only if the electric utility serving the applicable exclusive service territory does not offer a tariff for 100 percent renewable energy. Finally, the measure directs the State Corporation Commission to update its consumer protection regulations relating to the availability of service through licensed suppliers.

Electric utilities; retail competition. Shortens fromfive years to three years the period that a customer who switches from aninvestor-owned electric utility to a licensed competing supplier is barred fromreturning as a customer of the utility. The measure provides that if a singleperson purchases electric energy from a licensed supplier and such electricenergy is composed of a percentage of renewable energy equal to or greater thanthe percentage of renewable energy that the licensed supplier is required toprovide pursuant to any renewable energy portfolio standard, such person willconstitute a single retail customer, notwithstanding that service is providedto noncontiguous sites. Under current law, for the purposes of purchasingenergy from a licensed competing supplier, noncontiguous sites are consideredindividual retail customers and cannot be aggregated to meet the energy demandthreshold regardless of common ownership or control. The measure provides thatfor cooperative customers the lockout period remains five years andnoncontiguous sites are still considered individual retail customers. Themeasure also allows individual retail customers of an electric utility topurchase electric energy provided 100 percent from renewable energy from anylicensed supplier. The measure eliminates the condition that permits suchpurchases only if the electric utility serving the applicable exclusive serviceterritory does not offer a tariff for 100 percent renewable energy. Finally,the measure directs the State Corporation Commission to update its consumerprotection regulations relating to the availability of service through licensedsuppliers.