HB6202eng 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB6202 Engrossed LRB096 18131 MJR 33506 b

AN ACT concerning utilities.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding Section 16-107.7 as follows:

(220 ILCS 5/16-107.7 new)

Sec. 16-107.7. Net Metering Task Force.

(a) The General Assembly finds and declares all of the following:

(1) In Public Act 95-420, the General Assembly found and declared that a program to provide net electricity metering can (i) encourage private investment in renewable energy resources, (ii) stimulate economic growth, (iii) enhance the continued diversification in Illinois' energy resource mix, and (iv) protect the Illinois environment.

(2) The Illinois net metering program provides retail rate net metering for systems with a nameplate rating of 40 kilowatts and below.

(3) The General Assembly finds that it is in the public's best interest to establish a task force to study and evaluate net metering program experiences in other states, examine the status of net metering in Illinois, and determine whether any changes to the statutes concerning Illinois net metering are necessary.

(b) The General Assembly establishes the Net Metering Task Force comprised of 16 members to be appointed no later than August 2, 2010 in the following manner:

(1) one member appointed by the President of the Senate;

(2) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(3) one member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(4) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;

(5) one member appointed by the Attorney General; and

(6) 11 members appointed by the Governor, including one representative from the Office of the Governor, one representative from the Illinois Commerce Commission, one representative of the Illinois Power Agency, one representative from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, one representative from the Citizens Utility Board, one representative from a membership organization representing alternative retail electric suppliers, one representative from the environmental community, one representative from an Illinois public utility serving 2 million or more retail electric customers, one representative from 3 legally affiliated Illinois public utilities serving fewer than 2 million retail electric customers, one representative from a membership organization representing Illinois public utilities, and one representative from a membership organization representing Illinois retail merchants.

The Governor shall name a chairperson from among the Task Force appointees.

(c) No later than March 1, 2011, the Task Force shall submit a report to the General Assembly concerning the status of net metering in Illinois and whether any legislative and programmatic changes to the existing net metering law are necessary. The Chairperson of the Task Force shall submit a draft report to each of the members of the Task Force at least 30 days before submitting the required report to the General Assembly. The members of the Task Force shall discuss the draft report and record any votes taken on its contents. The draft report receiving the approval of a majority of those appointed to the Task Force shall be submitted to the General Assembly. Any Task Force member voting not to approve the Task Force report shall be allowed to submit a minority report for inclusion in the Task Force report. The Task Force report to the General Assembly shall include all minority reports submitted to the Chairperson within 10 business days after the day the Task Force approves the required report.

(d) The Task Force report shall include, at a minimum, discussion of the following topics:

(1) net metering policies and experiences from other states;

(2) the effects associated with expanded net metering development in Illinois, including its impact on renewable and diversified energy development, economic development, job growth, peak electricity consumption, grid operation and maintenance, and the environment;

(3) any uneconomic existing barriers to net metering development in Illinois;

(4) whether legislation, policies, and other best practices should be implemented to address uneconomic barriers to net metering development in Illinois;

(5) the overall consumer costs and rate impacts, if any, associated with implementing these policies, including taking into account the associated benefits of net metering development in Illinois; and

(6) an evaluation of the current net metering law to determine how well it is functioning among the participating utilities.

(e) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall provide administrative support for the Task Force.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.