Code of Massachusetts Regulations
220 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES
Title 220 CMR 18.00 - Net Metering
Section 18.02 - Definitions
Current through Register 1531, September 27, 2024
The terms set forth in 220 CMR 18.02 shall be defined as follows, unless the context otherwise requires.
Administrator. The qualified entity selected by the Department to facilitate the System of Assurance.
Agricultural Net Metering Facility. A Renewable Energy generating facility that is operated as part of an agricultural business and is not participating in the Small Hydroelectric Net Metering Program, generates electricity, does not have a generation capacity of more than two megawatts, is located on land owned or controlled by the agricultural business, and is used to provide energy to metered accounts of the business. Agriculture has the same meaning as provided in M.G.L. c. 128, § 1A; provided that, when necessary, the Commissioner of the Department of Agricultural Resources shall determine if a business is an agricultural business and whether the facility is operated as part of that business.
Anaerobic Digestion Net Metering Facility. A facility that:
(a) generates electricity from a biogas produced by the accelerated biodegradation of organic materials under controlled anaerobic conditions;
(b) has been determined by the Department of Energy Resources, in coordination with the Department of Environmental Protection, to qualify under the Department of Energy Resources' regulations as a Class I Renewable Energy generating source under 225 CMR 14:00: Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Class I and M.G.L. c. 25A, § 11F; and
(c) is interconnected to a Distribution Company.
Billing Period. The period of time set forth in a Distribution Company's terms and conditions for which a Distribution Company bills a Customer for its electricity consumed or estimated to have been consumed.
Cap Allocation. An assurance from the Administrator that a Host Customer will receive Net Metering services upon a Host Customer's receipt from a Distribution Company of notice of authorization to interconnect.
Cap Exempt Facility. Either:
(a) a Class I Net Metering Facility that is a Renewable Energy generating facility and has a nameplate capacity rating equal to or less than ten kilowatts on a single-phase circuit or 25 kilowatts on a three-phase circuit; or
(b) a Class II Net Metering Facility or Class III Net Metering Facility with an executed interconnection service agreement with a Distribution Company dated on or after January 1, 2021, provided that it is a Renewable Energy generating facility and serves On-site Load, other than parasitic or station load, and provided further that it is not a Net Metering Facility of a Municipality or Other Governmental Entity.
Class I Net Metering Facility. A plant or equipment that is used to produce, manufacture, or otherwise generate electricity, that has a design capacity of 60 kilowatts or less, and that is not a Small Hydroelectric Net Metering Facility participating in the Small Hydroelectric Net Metering Program; provided, however, that a Class I Net Metering Facility of a Municipality or Other Governmental Entity may have a generating capacity of less than or equal to 60 kilowatts per unit. Each Municipality or Other Governmental Entity may have an aggregate generating capacity of not more than ten megawatts.
Class II Net Metering Facility. An Agricultural Net Metering Facility, Anaerobic Digestion Net Metering Facility, Solar Net Metering Facility, or Wind Net Metering Facility with a generating capacity of more than 60 kilowatts but less than or equal to one megawatt; provided, however, that a Class II Net Metering Facility of a Municipality or Other Governmental Entity may have a generating capacity of more than 60 kilowatts but less than or equal to one megawatt per unit. Each Municipality or Other Governmental Entity may have an aggregate generating capacity of not more than ten megawatts.
Class III Net Metering Facility. An Agricultural Net Metering Facility, Anaerobic Digestion Net Metering Facility, Solar Net Metering Facility, or Wind Net Metering Facility with a generating capacity of more than one megawatt but less than or equal to two megawatts; provided, however, that a Class III Net Metering Facility of a Municipality or Other Governmental Entity may have a generating capacity of more than one megawatt but less than or equal to two megawatts per unit. Each Municipality or Other Governmental Entity may have an aggregate generating capacity of not more than ten megawatts.
Customer. Any person, partnership, corporation, or any other entity, whether public or private, who obtains distribution service at a customer delivery point and who is a customer of record of the Distribution Company for its own electricity consumption.
Department. Department of Public Utilities.
Distribution Company. A company engaging in the distribution of electricity or owning, operating or controlling distribution facilities; provided, however, that a Distribution Company shall not include any entity which owns or operates plant or equipment used to produce electricity, except for facilities provided in M.G.L. c. 164, § 1A(f), steam and chilled water, or an affiliate engaged solely in the provision of such electricity, steam and chilled water, where the electricity produced by such entity or its affiliate is primarily for the benefit of hospitals and non-profit educational institutions, and where such plant or equipment was in operation before January 1, 1986.
Governmental Cooperative. A cooperative, organized pursuant to M.G.L. c. 164, § 136, whose members or shareholders are all Municipalities or Other Governmental Entities.
Host Customer. A Customer with a Class I Net Metering Facility, Class II Net Metering Facility, Class III Net Metering Facility, or Small Hydroelectric Net Metering Facility participating in the Small Hydroelectric Net Metering Program that generates electricity on the Customer's side of the meter.
ISO-NE. ISO New England Inc., the independent system operator for New England, or its successor, authorized by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to operate the New England bulk power system and administer New England's organized wholesale electricity market pursuant to the ISO NE Tariff and operation agreements with transmission owners.
Locational Marginal Price (LMP). The price of electric energy set by ISO-NE at each load zone, external interface with neighboring regions, and the hub that reflects:
(a) the operating characteristics of, and the major constraints on, the New England transmission system at each area; and
(b) the losses resulting from physical limits of the transmission system.
Market Net Metering Credit. A Net Metering Credit provided by a Distribution Company for the net excess electricity generated and fed back to the Distribution Company by a New Solar Net Metering Facility and other Solar Net Metering Facilities that are not Cap Exempt Facilities after 25 years from the date that each Solar Net Metering Facility was first authorized to interconnect to the electric distribution system as provided by M.G.L. c. 164, § 139(k).
Municipality. A city or town.
Neighborhood. A geographic area within a Municipality, subject to the right of the Department to grant exceptions pursuant to 220 CMR 18.09(7), that:
(a) is recognized by the residents as including a unique community of interests;
(b) falls within the service territory of a single Distribution Company and within a single ISO-NE load zone; and
(c) may encompass residential, commercial, and undeveloped properties.
Neighborhood Net Metering Facility. A Class I Net Metering Facility, Class II Net Metering Facility, or Class III Net Metering Facility that:
(a) is owned by, or serves the energy needs of, a group of ten or more residential Customers that reside in a single Neighborhood and are served by a single Distribution Company;
(b) may also be owned by, or serve the energy needs of, other Customers who reside in the same Neighborhood and are served by the same Distribution Company as the residential Customers that own or are served by the facility; and
(c) is located within the same Neighborhood as the Customers that own or are served by the facility.
Net Metering. The process of measuring the difference between electricity delivered by a Distribution Company and electricity generated by a Class I Net Metering Facility, Class II Net Metering Facility, Class III Net Metering Facility, or Small Hydroelectric Net Metering Facility participating in the Small Hydroelectric Net Metering Program and fed back to the Distribution Company.
Net Metering Credit. Any credit, including a Market Net Metering Credit and a Neighborhood Net Metering Credit as defined in M.G.L. c. 164, § 138, provided by a Distribution Company for the net excess electricity generated and fed back to the Distribution Company by a Class I Net Metering Facility, Class II Net Metering Facility, Class III Net Metering Facility, Neighborhood Net Metering Facility, or Small Hydroelectric Net Metering Facility participating in the Small Hydroelectric Net Metering Program.
Net Metering Facility of a Municipality or Other Governmental Entity. A Class I Net Metering Facility, Class II Net Metering Facility, or Class III Net Metering Facility:
(a) that is owned or operated by a Municipality or Other Governmental Entity; or
(b) of which the Municipality or Other Governmental Entity is the Host Customer and is assigned 100% of the output.
New Solar Net Metering Facility.
(a) A Solar Net Metering Facility that submits an application for a Cap Allocation to the System of Assurance after September 26, 2016 for the entire capacity of the Solar Net Metering Facility; or
(b) A Solar Net Metering Facility that submits an application for a Cap Allocation to the System of Assurance before September 26, 2016, but which is subsequently deemed complete by the Administrator and does not receive a Cap Allocation from the Administrator until after January 8, 2017; or
(c) A Solar Net Metering Facility that submits an application for a Cap Allocation to the System of Assurance before September 26, 2016, is subsequently deemed complete by the Administrator and receives a Cap Allocation before or on January 8, 2017, but that seeks to expand the generating capacity at a later date after September 26, 2016, such that the entire facility, including the expanded generating capacity, is a Class II Net Metering Facility or Class III Net Metering Facility.
Notification Date. The date established by Department order after which all New Solar Net Metering Facilities shall generate Market Net Metering Credits only as determined pursuant to M.G.L. c. 164, § 139(b1/2).
On-site Load. Any new or existing electric load located at the site of a Net Metering facility, other than parasitic load that may result from the installation and operation of the Net Metering facility, and that is wired to be served by a portion of the electrical energy output from the Net Metering facility before the balance of such output passes through the Net Metering facility's metered interconnection onto the electric grid. An energy storage system, as defined in M.G.L. c. 164, § 1, does not constitute On-site Load.
Other Governmental Entity. A department or agency of the Federal government or of the Commonwealth, and any other entity as approved by the Department.
Renewable Energy. Energy generated from any source that qualifies as a Class I or Class II Renewable Energy generating source under M.G.L. c. 25A, § 11F; provided, however, that after conducting administrative proceedings, the Department of Energy Resources, in consultation with the Department of Agricultural Resources, may add technologies or technology categories.
Small Hydroelectric Net Metering Facility. A facility for the production of electrical energy that uses water to generate electricity, with a nameplate capacity of two megawatts or less, and is interconnected to a Distribution Company.
Small Hydroelectric Net Metering Program. A distinct technology-specific Net Metering program wherein each Small Hydroelectric Net Metering Facility that seeks to net meter while the program is open participates in a separate cap and generates a Net Metering Credit pursuant to M.G.L. c. 164, § 139A.
Solar Net Metering Facility. A facility for the production of electrical energy that uses sunlight to generate electricity and is interconnected to a Distribution Company.
System of Assurance. The Massachusetts System of Assurance of Net Metering Eligibility, as established by the Department pursuant to M.G.L. c. 164, § 139(g).
Wind Net Metering Facility. A facility for the production of electrical energy that uses wind to generate electricity and is interconnected to a Distribution Company.
