The Turlock Irrigation District Board of Directors will consider placing a cap on installed net metering under the Public Utilities Code 2827 on Tuesday.
Since 2003, TID has provided a net metering Electric Service Rate scheduled according to the PUC and customers have been taking advantage of that rate schedule almost exclusively with solar generation.
TID customers that install solar panels are added to a net metering rate schedule. Customers continue to pay the customer charge, but their energy consumption is netted against the amount of energy they generate.
If a customers ends a billing cycle generating more energy than they consume, the customer will receive a credit for the Kilowatt Hours (kWh) that they generate and send to the TID grid. The amount credited for the kWhs produced is at the same rate TID would have charged the customer.
In the first three years of the services, only a total of 20 kW were installed under net metering. Since then, solar systems installed has increased to 13,918 kW by the end of 2013. TID staff estimates another 9,184 kW will be installed in 2014.
Under PUC 2827, the amount of net metering solar to be installed is limited to five percent of the customer aggregated peak demand. According to TID staff, the cap would be 27,810 kW if approved.
If approved by the Board of Directors, the cap would remain for five years and then the cap would be revised every five years thereafter.
On Tuesday, the TID Board of Directors are expected to consider:
- The approval of the Don Pedro Shoreline Stabilization Project.
- Determine whether it is cost effective to adopt energy storage procurement targets at this time.
- Setting a public hearing on Dec. 2, 2014 at 9 a.m. to receive comments from the public regarding proposed revisions to TID’s electric service rates and special conditions to specific rate schedules.
- A declaration of support of Proposition 1, The Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Act of 2014.
The TID Board of Directors will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Board Room of the TID Main Office Building, 333 E. Canal Dr.
