Bill > SB449

This bill aims to update regulations regarding net metering, a system where electricity customers who generate their own power, often from renewable sources, receive credit for excess electricity sent back to the grid. It directs electric distribution utilities to offer alternative net metering tariffs, following specific orders and rules from the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which is the state agency overseeing utilities. The bill also specifically allows for energy storage systems, such as batteries, to be connected with net metering, and tasks the Department of Energy with creating rules for the installation and interconnection of these storage systems. Additionally, it defines "industrial customers" as larger generators (between 1 and 5 megawatts) that can participate in net metering under certain conditions, including a requirement to use a significant portion of their generated power themselves, with any excess generation subject to specific payment adjustments. The bill also clarifies that energy storage added to a qualifying generation facility will not affect the facility's size determination for net metering eligibility.