Ohio Code 4928.67 – Standard contract or tariff providing for net energy metering
(A)(1) Except as provided in division (A)(2) of this section, an electric utility shall develop a standard contract or tariff providing for net metering.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 4928.67
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Customer-generator: means a user of a net metering system. See Ohio Code 4928.01
- Electric utility: means an electric light company that has a certified territory and is engaged on a for-profit basis either in the business of supplying a noncompetitive retail electric service in this state or in the businesses of supplying both a noncompetitive and a competitive retail electric service in this state. See Ohio Code 4928.01
- Net metering: means measuring the difference in an applicable billing period between the electricity supplied by an electric service provider and the electricity generated by a customer-generator that is fed back to the electric service provider. See Ohio Code 4928.01
- Net metering system: means a facility for the production of electrical energy that does all of the following:
(a) Uses as its fuel either solar, wind, biomass, landfill gas, or hydropower, or uses a microturbine or a fuel cell;
(b) Is located on a customer-generator's premises;
(c) Operates in parallel with the electric utility's transmission and distribution facilities;
(d) Is intended primarily to offset part or all of the customer-generator's requirements for electricity. See Ohio Code 4928.01
That contract or tariff shall be identical in rate structure, all retail rate components, and any monthly charges to the contract or tariff to which the same customer would be assigned if that customer were not a customer-generator.
(2) An electric utility shall also develop a separate standard contract or tariff providing for net metering for a hospital, as defined in section 3701.01 of the Revised Code, that is also a customer-generator, subject to all of the following:
(a) No limitation, including that in divisions (A)(31)(a) and (d) of section 4928.01 of the Revised Code, shall apply regarding the availability of the contract or tariff to such hospital customer-generators.
(b) The contract or tariff shall be based both upon the rate structure, rate components, and any charges to which the hospital would otherwise be assigned if the hospital were not a customer-generator and upon the market value of the customer-generated electricity at the time it is generated.
(c) The contract or tariff shall allow the hospital customer-generator to operate its electric generating facilities individually or collectively without any wattage limitation on size.
(B)(1) Net metering under this section shall be accomplished using a single meter capable of registering the flow of electricity in each direction. If its existing electrical meter is not capable of measuring the flow of electricity in two directions, the customer-generator shall be responsible for all expenses involved in purchasing and installing a meter that is capable of measuring electricity flow in two directions.
(2) The electric utility, at its own expense and with the written consent of the customer-generator, may install one or more additional meters to monitor the flow of electricity in each direction.
(3) Consistent with the other provisions of this section, the measurement of net electricity supplied or generated shall be calculated in the following manner:
(a) The electric utility shall measure the net electricity produced or consumed during the billing period, in accordance with normal metering practices.
(b) If the electricity supplied by the electric utility exceeds the electricity generated by the customer-generator and fed back to the utility during the billing period, the customer-generator shall be billed for the net electricity supplied by the utility, in accordance with normal metering practices. If electricity is provided to the utility, the credits for that electricity shall appear in the next billing cycle.
(4) A net metering system used by a customer-generator shall meet all applicable safety and performance standards established by the national electrical code, the institute of electrical and electronics engineers, and underwriters laboratories.
(C) The public utilities commission shall adopt rules relating to additional control and testing requirements for customer-generators that the commission determines are necessary to protect public and worker safety and system reliability.
(D) An electric utility shall not require a customer-generator whose net metering system meets the standards and requirements provided for in divisions (B)(4) and (C) of this section to do any of the following:
(1) Comply with additional safety or performance standards;
(2) Perform or pay for additional tests;
(3) Purchase additional liability insurance.