Bill > HB1255

This bill amends Virginia law to increase the minimum capacity threshold for certain electric utility customers to be required to pay a monthly standby charge as part of the net energy metering program. Specifically, it raises the aggregate nameplate capacity of an electrical generating facility from 15 kilowatts (kW) to 20 kW of alternating current before a customer is subject to this standby charge. Net energy metering, or NEM, is a billing mechanism that allows customers who generate their own electricity, typically from renewable sources like solar panels, to receive credit for excess electricity they send back to the grid. A standby charge is a fee that some utilities may impose on customers with distributed generation systems to cover the costs of maintaining the grid infrastructure that supports their connection, even when they are not drawing power. This change means that more customers with smaller generating facilities will be exempt from paying this additional monthly fee.