Bill > H2852

This bill establishes a Commonwealth Solar Program aiming for 20% solar electricity by the end of 2025, and it modifies existing laws regarding net metering, which is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid. Specifically, it increases the aggregate net metering capacity for solar photovoltaic facilities to 1600 megawatts DC, while setting limits for other types of net metering facilities at 3% of a distribution company's peak load, and allows municipalities or governmental entities to have up to 10 megawatts AC of net metering capacity. Importantly, Class I and Class II net metering facilities not owned by government entities will be exempt from these aggregate capacity limits. The bill also mandates the establishment of an energy storage program by January 1, 2016, to promote cost-effective energy storage systems that can reduce emissions, manage electricity demand, and improve grid reliability, with the program to be in effect by January 1, 2017. Finally, community shared solar energy systems, defined as solar projects collectively owned by residents or businesses on property owned by a cooperating party and designed to meet a portion of the owners' energy needs, will be exempt from taxes for 20 years from interconnection, provided individual ownership units are 25 kilowatts or less and exemptions are proportional to ownership share.