Alternative Energy

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Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) Program Web Site

AEPS Website - The AEPS website provides a portal for the application and registration of alternative energy facilities that qualify for the AEPS program. It also assists in the management of AECs (Alternative Energy Credits) produced by small customer-owned generators and energy efficiency measures, and facilitates the trade of AECs from customer-owned generators and energy efficiency measures through a regional bulletin board.

AEPS Credit Compliance Summit

The PUC is hosted an AEPS Credit Compliance Summit on June 17, 2010.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the various roles in ensuring AEPS compliance and how the EDCs and EGSs can fulfill their AEPS obligations.

Summit Agenda	CEEP Opening Remarks
Clean Power Markets	PJM
CEEP Quarterly Adjustment	CEEP Sales Data

Secretarial Letter - Notice of the AEPS Credit Compliance Summit. Dated June 1, 2010.

Pricing for AEC Sales

2009/2010 Alternative Energy Credit Pricing

2008/2009 Alternative Energy Credit Pricing

2007/2008 Alternative Energy Credit Pricing

Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act of 2004

Final Order - This final order establishes procedures and guidelines that certain low-impact hydropower facilities and generators in Pennsylvania utilizing by-products of pulping and wood manufacturing processes must follow to qualify as a Tier I resource.  It also establishes reporting requirements for EDCs and EGSs, as well as, related procedures to adjust the Tier I percentage requirements on a quarterly basis.  From the Public Meeting of May 28, 2009.

Tentative Order - Seeking comments on proposed procedures for qualifying Pennsylvania based low-impact hydropower and wood manufacturing facilities as Tier I alternative energy resources, and increasing Tier I requirements to account for the new qualifying facilities.  Comments are due May 7, 2009.  Please reference Docket No. M‑2009-2093382 when filing comments to this proposal.

Comments on Tentative Order

2010 Annual Report - The 2010 AEPS Annual Report. Released August 2011.

2008-09 Annual Report - The 2008 and 2009 AEPS Annual Report. Released August 2010.

2007 Annual Report - The 2007 AEPS Annual Report. Released May 2008.

Implementation Order - The implementation of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act of 2004. Docket No. M-00051865.

Implementation Order II - Public Meeting of July 14, 2005. Docket No. M-00051865.

Act 213 - Link to the Senate Bill for Act 213.

Act 35 - Link to Act 35 of 2007, which amended the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act (new language).

Final Rulemaking Order - Implementation of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act of 2004. Public Meeting of September 25, 2008, at Docket No. L-00060180.

Standards for the Participation of Demand Side Management Resources –Final Order

Act 213 includes demand side management, energy efficiency and load management programs and technologies among the resources eligible for participation in Pennsylvania’s alternative energy market. These standards govern the tracking and verification of DSM/EE measures and will also be used to measure and verify applicable DSM/EE measures used by EDCs to meet the Act 129 consumption and peak demand reduction targets.

Final 2010 Order for TRM - 2010 order updating the Technical Reference Manual at Docket No. M-00051865, adopted at the June 3, 2010 public meeting.

2010 Technical Reference Manual

1. 2010 Technical Reference Manual Data Tables and Forms
2. Appendix C – Lighting Audit and Design Tool
3. Appendix D – Motor & VFD Inventory Form

2010 TRM Update Tentative Order - Docket No. M-00051865, adopted at the January 28, 2010 public meeting.

Comments on Tentative Order

Reply Comments on Tentative Order

2009 Final Order and Technical Manual - 2009 update to the Technical Resource Manual at Docket No. M-00051865, adopted at the May 28, 2009 public meeting.

Final Order and Technical Manual - Docket No. M-00051865 from the public meeting of September 29, 2005.

Net Metering Standards

The Commission has published a final rulemaking order which promotes onsite generation by customer-generators using renewable resources and eliminates barriers which may have previously existed regarding net metering. The regulations also provide for metering capabilities that will be required and a compensation mechanism which reimburses customer-generators for surplus energy supplied to the electric grid.

Annual Net Metering/Interconnection Report Form - For the reporting period from June 1, (Year) to May 31, (Year).

Final Omitted Rulemaking Order (Net Metering) - Docket No. L-00050174. These regulations were published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Nov. 29, 2008 and are legally effective as of that date.

Final Rulemaking Order (Net Metering) - Docket No. M-00051865 and L-00050174. These regulations were published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Dec. 16, 2006 and are legally effective as of that date.

Interconnection Rules - Standards

The Commission has published a final rulemaking order which establishes regulations governing interconnection for customer-generators. The regulations have been drafted with a view towards promoting onsite generation by customer-generators using renewable resources, consistent with the over-arching goal of the Act. The regulations strive to eliminate barriers which may have previously existed with regard to interconnection while ensuring that interconnection by customer-generators will not pose unnecessary risks to the electric distribution systems in the Commonwealth.

Technical Contacts

Interconnection Technical Contacts - List of technical contacts for utilities and the PUC. Dated October 28, 2011.

PUC Contact Information - Contact the Bureau of Technical Utility Services' Energy Planning Section at (717) 425-7584 or ra-aeps@state.pa.us.

Annual Net Metering/Interconnection Report Form - For the reporting period from June 1, (Year) to May 31, (Year).

Notice of Interconnection Standards Working Group Meeting - Sent via email on Monday, Oct. 30, 2006.

Final Rulemaking Order (Interconnection) - Docket No. M-00051865 and L-00050175, dated Sept. 15, 2006. These regulations were published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Dec. 16, 2006 and are legally effective as of that date.

Interconnection Application Forms

The regulations regarding the Interconnection Standards provide that standard interconnection forms will be used and posted on electric distribution companies (EDC) websites. Docket No. M-00051865.

Interconnection Agreement/Application - Order and final applications and agreements for Level 1 Review (Certified Inverter-based Units of 10 kW and under) and  Level 2,3,4 Review (Generation up to 5,000 kW.) Public meeting of Feb. 26, 2009. 

Interconnection Application Fees

Policy Statement - From the Public Meeting of Feb. 26, 2009. Docket No. M-00051865.

Net Metering & Interconnection Rules -- Revisions

On December 15, 2006, the Commission adopted net metering and interconnection rules in Chapter 75 of Pa. Code Title 52 that became effective on December 16, 2006. These rules were promulgated in compliance with the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act (AEPS). The AEPS Act was amended with the passage of Act 35 of 2007, on July 17, 2007. Act 35 of 2007 amended several provisions of the AEPS Act, including those relating to the definition of customer‑generator, the reconciliation mechanism for surplus energy supplied through net metering and the price paid for surplus energy. In an October 4, 2007 Secretarial Letter, the Commission requested comments regarding how the AEPS Act amendments should be reflected in net metering and interconnection regulations.

Alternative Energy Credit Program Administrator

Request for Proposal (RFP)

The Commission is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the services of an Alternative Energy Credits Administrator. The services of a credits administrator are needed to assist the Commission in the Implementation of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act (AEPS Act) of 2004, as amended. Among the services included in the RFP are the verification of electric distribution company and electric generation supplier compliance with the minimum portfolio requirements of the AEPS Act, the calculation of Tier I requirements on a quarterly basis, the review of applications for alternative energy system status, and responding to inquiries about alternative energy credits.

The Commission seeks the services of a credits administrator beginning in June 2010 until Dec. 31, 2013 with the option for two, one-year contract extensions.

Request for Proposal

A proposers conference  will be held on Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 1 PM in Executive Chambers, on the third floor on the Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120.

For RFP issues, you may contact the Bureau of Technical Utility Services' Energy Planning Section for the Pennsylvania PUC at (717) 787-2139 or Fax (717) 787-2545.

Act 213 authorizes the Commission to retain the services of an alternative energy credit program administrator. The Commission released a Request for Qualifications on April 12, 2006 for parties interested in serving as the program administrator. The Commission has selected Clean Power Markets to serve as the alternative energy credits program administrator. Clean Power Markets will gradually assume the responsibilities of program administration during 2007.

RFP Proposers Conference Questions & Answers - Addendum - The addendum to questions and answers from the RFP Proposers Conference meeting held on March 4, 2010.

RFP Proposers Conference Questions & Answers - The questions and answers from the RFP Proposers Conference meeting held on March 4, 2010.

RFP Proposers Conference Attendee List - A list of attendees from the RFP Proposers Conference meeting held on March 4, 2010.

2006 RFP - The 2006 RFP for Alternative Energy Credit Program Administrator.

2006 RFP Technical Proposal from CPM - The 2006 Technical Proposal from Cleam Power Markets Inc. for Alternative Energy Credit Program Administrator.

Pennsylvania Solar Projects - Working Group

The PUC has adopted a policy statement to develop a process to overcome price uncertainty of solar alternative energy credits and address barriers that could prevent new solar projects. This policy statement establishes a solar project stakeholder working group composed of representatives from EDCs, EGSs, Commission staff, public advocates, solar aggregators, solar developers and other interested stakeholders.  This working group is to explore and develop standardized contracts and other related documents for EDC purchase of SRECs from solar developers of both large- and small-scale solar projects.  The working group is to meet at least semiannually and its efforts are to be published on this web page.

Working Group Meetings

Secretarial Letter - Announcement on the initial meeting of the Solar Projects Working Group to be held on January 27, 2011, at 1:00 pm in Hearing Room 1 in the Commonwealth Keystone Building in Harrisburg.

Standard Contracts and Documents

The following proposed standard contracts and other documents are being published on this web page to facilitate the efforts of the solar project stakeholder working group.

Master SAEC Agreement - Change in Law example. Dated June 21, 2010.
Master SAEC Agreement - No Changes in Law example. Dated June 21, 2010.
SAG Solar RFP Rules - Dated June 21, 2010.
SAG Executive Summary - Dated June 21, 2010.

Final Policy Statement Order - Public Meeing of Sept. 16, 2010.
Proposed Policy Statement Order - Public Meeting of Nov. 6, 2009.
Publication in Pennsylvania Bulletin

Comments - Due by March 8, 2010

Reply Comments - Due by March 23, 2010

Wind Farm Regulations

The regulation of Pennsylvania wind farms is managed by several other state agencies. The page linked to below is maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and contains information regarding the siting and permitting of wind farms.

AEPS Act Working Groups