Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0465 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5	2023 -- S 0465
6	6	========
7	7	LC002161
8	8	========
9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIES -- MICROGRIDS DOCKET
16	16	Introduced By: Senators Zurier, Euer, Lauria, and Sosnowski
17	17	Date Introduced: March 07, 2023
18	18	Referred To: Senate Commerce
19	19
20	20
21	21	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
22	22	SECTION 1. The General Assembly hereby finds: 1
23	23	(1) Rhode Island residents and businesses are vulnerable to disruptions to its electrical 2
24	24	system caused by extreme weather and other system constraints. In response to these disruptions, 3
25	25	multiple United States jurisdictions have sought to establish microgrids, or smaller grids with local 4
26	26	control capability that can disconnect from the larger electricity grid and operate autonomously. 5
27	27	(2) Increased use of renewable energy, advanced distributed energy resources, and energy 6
28	28	efficiency in Rhode Island provides significant economic, health, environmental, and workforce 7
29	29	benefits to the State. Microgrids have the ability to facilitate the achievement of Rhode Island’s 8
30	30	goals as established in the Act on Climate by enabling integration of more renewable energy and 9
31	31	other distributed energy resources. Microgrids can also provide valuable services to the public 10
32	32	utility’s electrical grid, including energy storage, demand response, and other ancillary services 11
33	33	such as load shifting, frequency response, and voltage control. 12
34	34	(3) Microgrids are able to isolate themselves from the larger electricity grid in times of 13
35	35	emergency. By running autonomously, microgrids can provide a building or set of buildings with 14
36	36	emergency power for critical medical equipment, refrigeration, and charging communications 15
37	37	devices. Microgrids can also provide backup power for hospitals and emergency centers. The use 16
38	38	of microgrids would build energy resiliency into our communities, thereby increasing public safety 17
39	39	and security. 18
40	40	(4) Rhode Island has set some of the most ambitious renewable energy goals in the nation, 19
41	41
42	42
43	43	LC002161 - Page 2 of 4
44	44	and few microgrids have been developed, as they have been hindered by a number of factors, 1
45	45	including interconnection barriers and a lack of standard terms regarding the value of services 2
46	46	exchanged between a microgrid operator and the utility. 3
47	47	(5) Without standard terms regarding interconnection and the value of microgrid services, 4
48	48	businesses and residents developing microgrids may choose to leave the utility grid altogether, 5
49	49	thereby weakening the overall system and increasing costs to other utility customers. 6
50	50	SECTION 2. Title 39 of the General Laws entitled "PUBLIC UTILITIES AND 7
51	51	CARRIERS" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 8
52	52	CHAPTER 33 9
53	53	MICROGRIDS DOCKET 10
54	54	39-33-1. Definitions. 11
55	55	As used in this chapter: 12
56	56	(1) “Commission” means the public utilities commission. 13
57	57	(2) “Microgrid project” means a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy 14
58	58	resources within clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity with 15
59	59	respect to the utility’s electrical grid and can connect to a public utility’s electrical grid to operate 16
60	60	in grid-connected mode and can disconnect from the grid to operate in autonomous mode, and that: 17
61	61	(i) Is subject to a microgrid services tariff; and 18
62	62	(ii) Generates or produces energy. 19
63	63	(3) “Microgrid services tariff” means a tariff approved by the commission that: 20
64	64	(i) Is designed to provide fair compensation for electricity, electric grid services, and other 21
65	65	benefits provided to, or by, the electric utility, the person or entity operating the microgrid, and 22
66	66	other ratepayers; 23
67	67	(ii) To the extent possible, standardizes and streamlines the related interconnection 24
68	68	processes for microgrid projects; and 25
69	69	(iii) Does not apply to a municipal utility as described in this title. 26
70	70	39-33-2. Microgrids docket. 27
71	71	(a) By October 1, 2023, the public utilities commission shall open a proceeding to establish 28
72	72	a microgrid services tariff. 29
73	73	(b) Any person or entity may own or operate an eligible microgrid project or projects; 30
74	74	provided that, the person or entity complies with all applicable statutes, rules, tariffs, and orders 31
75	75	governing the ownership and interconnection of the project or projects. 32
76	76	(c) In establishing a microgrid services tariff, the commission shall consider the actions 33
77	77	taken to establish and deploy microgrids in other jurisdictions, including, but not limited to, Puerto 34
78	78
79	79
80	80	LC002161 - Page 3 of 4
81	81	Rico, California, and Hawaii. 1
82	82	(d) The general assembly respectfully requests that the commission approve a microgrid 2
83	83	tariff on or before April 1, 2025. If the commission finds that this deadline is not feasible, it shall 3
84	84	provide a detailed report to the general assembly by January 1, 2025 to describe why the original 4
85	85	deadline cannot be met, a new deadline, and what resources are necessary to complete the tariff. 5
86	86	SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 6
87	87	========
88	88	LC002161
89	89	========
90	90
91	91
92	92	LC002161 - Page 4 of 4
93	93	EXPLANATION
94	94	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
95	95	OF
96	96	A N A C T
97	97	RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIES -- MICROGRIDS DOCKET
98	98	***
99	99	This act would, by October 1, 2023, mandate the public utilities commission to establish a 1
100	100	microgrid services tariff on a microgrid project. A microgrid project would mean a group of 2
101	101	interconnected loads and distributed energy resources within clearly defined electrical boundaries 3
102	102	that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the utility’s electrical grid and can connect 4
103	103	to a public utility’s electrical grid to operate in grid-connected mode and can disconnect from the 5
104	104	grid to operate in autonomous mode. 6
105	105	This act would take effect upon passage. 7
106	106	========
107	107	LC002161
108	108	========
109	109