Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1024 By Senator Bradley 5-00845-22 20221024__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to net metering; amending s. 366.91, 3 F.S.; revising and providing legislative findings 4 relating to the redesign of net metering to avoid 5 cross-subsidization of electric service costs between 6 classes of ratepayers; requiring the Public Service 7 Commission to propose new net metering rules that 8 comply with specified criteria by a certain date; 9 authorizing certain customers who own or lease 10 renewable generation before a specified date to remain 11 under the existing net metering rules for a specified 12 time; providing applicability; requiring certain 13 public utilities to provide a specified report to the 14 commission; providing an effective date. 15 16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17 18 Section 1.Present subsections (6) through (9) of section 19 366.91, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (7) 20 through (10), respectively, a new subsection (6) is added to 21 that section, and subsection (1) and present subsection (7) of 22 that section are amended, to read: 23 366.91Renewable energy. 24 (1)The Legislature finds that: 25 (a)It is in the public interest to continue promote the 26 development of renewable energy resources in this state in a 27 manner that is fair and equitable to all public utility 28 customers. Renewable energy resources have the potential to help 29 diversify fuel types to meet Floridas growing dependency on 30 natural gas for electric production, minimize the volatility of 31 fuel costs, encourage investment within the state, improve 32 environmental conditions, and make Florida a leader in new and 33 innovative technologies. The development and maturation of the 34 solar energy industry, the substantial decline in the cost of 35 solar panels, and the increase in customer-owned and -leased 36 renewable generation support the redesign of net metering by the 37 commission. 38 (b)Customer-owned and -leased renewable generation are not 39 available to many public utility customers who lack the 40 financial resources to purchase or lease rooftop solar panels or 41 who reside in multitenant buildings. The substantial growth of 42 customer-owned and -leased renewable generation has resulted in 43 increased cross-subsidization of the full cost of electric 44 service onto the public utilitys general body of ratepayers. 45 Therefore, the redesigned net metering rate structures required 46 in paragraph (6)(a) must ensure that public utility customers 47 who own or lease renewable generation pay the full cost of 48 electric service and are not cross-subsidized by the public 49 utilitys general body of ratepayers. 50 (6)(a)On or before January 1, 2023, the commission shall 51 propose a revised net metering rule that complies with the 52 following criteria: 53 1.The net metering rate structures and billing must ensure 54 that public utility customers owning or leasing renewable 55 generation pay the full cost of electric service and are not 56 subsidized by the public utilitys general body of ratepayers. 57 2.The net metering must ensure that all energy delivered 58 by the public utility is purchased at the public utilitys 59 applicable retail rate and that all energy delivered by the 60 customer-owned or -leased renewable generation to the public 61 utility is credited to the customer at the public utilitys full 62 avoided costs. 63 3.The net metering may include fixed charges, including 64 base facilities charges, electric grid access fees, or monthly 65 minimum bills, to help ensure that the public utility recovers 66 the fixed costs of serving customers who engage in net metering 67 and that the general body of public utility ratepayers does not 68 subsidize customer-owned or -leased renewable generation. 69 (b)Any public utility customer who owns or leases 70 renewable generation that is in service before January 1, 2023, 71 pursuant to a standard interconnection agreement offered by a 72 public utility, shall be granted 10 years to continue to use the 73 net metering rate design and rates that applied before the 74 revised net metering rule was adopted under paragraph (a). This 75 paragraph applies to customers who purchase or lease real 76 property upon which customer-owned or -leased renewable 77 generation is installed for all or part of that 10-year period. 78 (c)The commission shall require a public utility 79 requesting a change in base rates under s. 366.06 to report to 80 the commission the impact of net metering on the public 81 utilitys revenues and cost of service. 82 (8)(7)Under the provisions of subsections (5) and (7) (6), 83 when a utility purchases power generated from biogas produced by 84 the anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste, including food 85 waste or other agricultural byproducts, net metering shall be 86 available at a single metering point or as a part of conjunctive 87 billing of multiple points for a customer at a single location, 88 so long as the provision of such service and its associated 89 charges, terms, and other conditions are not reasonably 90 projected to result in higher cost electric service to the 91 utilitys general body of ratepayers or adversely affect the 92 adequacy or reliability of electric service to all customers, as 93 determined by the commission for public utilities, or as 94 determined by the governing authority of the municipal electric 95 utility or rural electric cooperative that serves at retail. 96 Section 2.This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.