Montana Code 69-8-604. Net metering system — reliability and safety
69-8-604. Net metering system — reliability and safety. (1) A net metering system used by a customer-generator must include, at the customer-generator’s own expense, all equipment necessary to meet applicable safety, power quality, and interconnection requirements established by the national electrical code, national electrical safety code, institute of electrical and electronic engineers, and underwriters laboratories.
Terms Used In Montana Code 69-8-604
- commission: means the public service commission provided for in 2-15-2602. See Montana Code 69-1-101
- Customer-generator: means a user of a net metering system. See Montana Code 69-8-103
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Net metering: means measuring the difference between the electricity distributed to and the electricity generated by a customer-generator that is fed back to the distribution system during the applicable billing period. See Montana Code 69-8-103
- Net metering system: means a facility for the production of electrical energy that:
(a)uses as its fuel solar, wind, or hydropower;
(b)has a generating capacity of not more than 50 kilowatts;
(c)is located on the customer-generator's premises;
(d)operates in parallel with the utility's distribution facilities; and
(e)is intended primarily to offset part or all of the customer-generator's requirements for electricity. See Montana Code 69-8-103
(2)The commission, after appropriate notice and opportunity for comment, may adopt by rule additional safety, power quality, and interconnection requirements for customer-generators that the commission determines are necessary to protect public safety and net metering system reliability.
(3)The commission shall biennially review and update, if necessary, interconnection requirements and rules for customer-generators to ensure that the requirements and rules:
(a)comply with the most up-to-date national electrical and safety codes and standards; and
(b)are being properly implemented by public utilities subject to this part and other utilities under the commission’s jurisdiction that administer net metering programs.