Del. Code tit. 26 § 358

Current through 2024 Legislative Session Act Chapter 476
Section 358 - Issuance of renewable energy credits; reporting requirement; alternative compliance payment
(a) The Commission shall establish by regulation the mechanisms under which a REC and SREC shall be created and recorded with respect to the entity generating electricity using eligible energy resources for use in complying with the renewable energy portfolio standards of this subchapter. Once the GATS system is operational and the PJM Interconnection, or a related organization currently known as PJM Environmental Services, Inc. (PJM-ESI), begins issuing RECs and SRECs, the Commission may issue an order approving the use of RECs and SRECs issued by the PJM Interconnection or PJM-ESI for compliance with the renewable energy portfolio Standards of this subchapter.
(b) Beginning June 1, 2007, each retail electricity supplier shall submit an annual report to the Commission, on a form and by a date specified by the Commission, that:
(1) Demonstrates that the retail electricity supplier has complied with the renewable energy portfolio standards established pursuant to this subchapter and includes the submission of the required amount of renewable energy credits; or
(2) Demonstrates the amount of electricity sales for the compliance year by which the retail electricity supplier failed to meet the renewable energy portfolio standard.
(c) Beginning June 1, 2007, each municipal electric company shall submit an annual report to the Delaware Energy Office and the Controller General that:
(1) Demonstrates that the municipal electric company has complied with the RPS established pursuant to this subchapter and includes the submission of the required amount of renewable energy credits; or
(2) Demonstrates the amount of electricity sales for the compliance year by which the municipal electric company failed to meet the RPS.
(d) In lieu of standard means of compliance with this subchapter, any commission-regulated utility may pay into the Fund an alternative compliance payment of $25 for each megawatt-hour deficiency between the credits available and used by a commission-regulated utility in a given compliance year for eligible non-solar renewable energy resources and the credits necessary for such commission-regulated utility to meet the year's renewable energy portfolio standard. A municipal electric company may pay the alternative compliance payment into a fund established by its municipal members. If alternative compliance payments representing 15% or more of the total number of RECs for eligible non-solar renewable energy resources are paid into the Fund for each of 2 consecutive compliance years, the minimum cumulative percentage from eligible energy resources specified in Schedule I of § 354(a) of this title remains at the percentage specified for the immediately preceding year and does not increase from that percentage until a year passes during which less than 15% of the REC obligation is satisfied by alternative compliance payments. After the year in which less than 15% of the REC obligation is satisfied by alternative compliance payments, the annual increases in Schedule I of § 354(a) of this title resume, starting from the percentage specified for the year immediately before the current compliance year. A freeze of the minimum cumulative percentage from eligible non-solar technology does not permit a freeze of the minimum cumulative percentage from eligible solar energy resources.

(e) In lieu of standard means of compliance with this subchapter, a commission-regulated utility may pay into the Fund a Solar Alternative Compliance Payment of $150 for each megawatt-hour deficiency between the credits available and used by a commission-regulated utility in a given compliance year and the credits necessary for such commission-regulated utility to meet the year's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard. A municipal electric company may pay the solar alternative compliance payment into a fund established by its municipal members. If solar alternative compliance payments representing 15% or more of the total number of SRECs are paid into the Fund for each of 2 consecutive compliance years, the minimum cumulative percentage from solar technology specified in Schedule I of § 354(a) of this title remains at the percentage specified for the immediately preceding year and does not increase from that percentage until a year passes during which less than 15% of the SREC obligation is satisfied by solar alternative compliance payments. After the year in which less than 15% of the total SREC obligation is satisfied by solar alternative compliance payments, the annual increases set forth in Schedule I of § 354(a) of this title resume, starting from the percentage specified for the year immediately before the current compliance year. A freeze of the minimum cumulative percentage from solar technology does not freeze the minimum cumulative percentage from eligible energy resources.

(f)
(1) Recovery of costs -- A retail electricity supplier or municipal electric company may recover, through a nonbypassable surcharge, actual dollar for dollar costs incurred in complying with a state mandated renewable energy portfolio standard, except that any compliance fee assessed pursuant to subsection (d) of this section shall be recoverable only to the extent authorized by paragraph (f)(2) of this section.
(2) A retail electricity supplier or municipal electric company may recover any alternative compliance payment if:
a. The payment of an alternative compliance payment is the least cost measure to ratepayers as compared to the purchase of eligible energy resources to comply with a renewable energy portfolio standard; or
b. There are insufficient eligible energy resources available for the electric supplier to comply with a renewable energy portfolio standard.
(3) Any cost recovered under this section shall be disclosed to customers at least annually on inserts accompanying customer bills.

26 Del. C. § 358

Amended by Laws 2021, ch. 3,s 2, eff. 2/10/2021.
75 Del. Laws, c. 205, § 1; 76 Del. Laws, c. 165, §§ 7 - 9; 77 Del. Laws, c. 451, §§ 3, 13 - 19.;