2012 Vermont Statutes
Title 30 Public Service
Chapter 89 RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAMS
§ 8005b Renewable energy programs; biennial report

§ 8005b. Renewable energy programs; biennial report

(a) On or before January 15, 2013 and no later than every second January 15 thereafter through January 15, 2033, the board shall file a report with the general assembly in accordance with this section. The board shall prepare the report in consultation with the department. The provisions of 2 V.S.A. § 20(d)(expiration of required reports) shall not apply to the report to be made under this subsection.

(b) The report under this section shall include at least each of the following:

(1) The retail sales, in kWh, of electricity in Vermont during the preceding calendar year. The report shall include the statewide total and the total sold by each retail electricity provider.

(2) The amount of SPEED resources owned by the Vermont retail electricity providers, expressed as a percentage of retail kWh sales. The report shall include the statewide total and the total owned by each retail electricity provider and shall discuss the progress of each provider toward achieving the goals and targets of subsection 8005(d)(SPEED) of this title. The report to be filed under this subsection on or before January 15, 2019 shall discuss and attach the board's determination under subdivision 8005(d)(2)(2017 SPEED goal) of this title.

(3) A summary of the activities of the SPEED program under section 8005 of this title, including the name, location, plant capacity, and average annual energy generation, of each SPEED resource within the program.

(4) A summary of the activities of the standard offer program under section 8005a of this title, including the number of plants participating in the program, the prices paid by the program, and the plant capacity and average annual energy generation of the participating plants. The report shall present this information as totals for all participating plants and by category of renewable energy technology. The report also shall identify the number of applications received, the number of participating plants under contract, and the number of participating plants actually in service.

(5) An assessment of the energy efficiency and renewable energy markets and recommendations to the general assembly regarding strategies that may be necessary to encourage the use of these resources to help meet upcoming supply requirements.

(6) An assessment of whether Vermont retail electric rates are rising faster than inflation as measured by the CPI, and a comparison of Vermont's electric rates with electric rates in other New England states. If statewide average rates have risen more than 0.2 percentage points per year faster than inflation over the preceding two or more years, the report shall include an assessment of the contributions to rate increases from various sources, such as the costs of energy and capacity, costs due to construction of transmission and distribution infrastructure, and costs due to compliance with the requirements of section 8005a (SPEED program; standard offer) of this title. Specific consideration shall be given to the price of renewable energy and the diversity, reliability, availability, dispatch flexibility, and full life cycle cost, including environmental benefits and greenhouse gas reductions, on a net present value basis of renewable energy resources available from supplier

s. The report shall include any recommendations for statutory change that arise from this assessment. If electric rates have increased primarily due to cost increases attributable to nonrenewable sources of electricity or to the electric transmission or distribution systems, the report shall include a recommendation regarding whether to increase the size of the annual increase described in subdivision 8005a(c)(1)(standard offer; cumulative capacity; pace) of this title.

(7)(A) An assessment of whether strict compliance with the requirements of section 8005a (SPEED program; standard offer) of this title:

(i) Has caused one or more providers to raise its retail rates faster over the preceding two or more years than statewide average retail rates have risen over the same time period;

(ii) Will cause retail rate increases particular to one or more providers; or

(iii) Will impair the ability of one or more providers to meet the public's need for energy services in the manner set forth under subdivision 218c(a)(1) of this title (least-cost integrated planning).

(B) Based on this assessment, consideration of whether statutory changes should be made to grant providers additional flexibility in meeting requirements of section 8005a of this title.

(8) Any recommendations for statutory change related to sections 8005 and 8005a of this title. (Added 2011, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 6.)