Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) The
Pilot Program shall run for a period of no more than 36 months, divided into
Program Year 1 (PY1), Program Year 2 (PY2), and Program Year 3 (PY3). Program
Year 1 shall begin February 19, 2019, and last until December 31, 2019.
Subsequent program years shall begin on January 1 and last for the full
calendar year.
(b) No later than
January 1, 2022, the Board shall adopt rules to convert the Pilot Program to a
Community Solar Energy Program.
(c)
For each of the three program years, Board staff shall initiate an annual
application process pursuant to the Clean Energy Act as follows:
1. Board staff shall present to the Board for
approval the application for participation in the Pilot Program and the
criteria for evaluation of said applications.
2. Board staff shall open an application
period for the Pilot Program for a length of time to be enacted at the official
approval of the application process.
3. Following the close of the application
period, Board staff will evaluate and score projects based on criteria
identified in the application. Only applications that are substantively
complete by the close of the application period will be considered for
participation in the Pilot Program for that program year.
4. Board staff will not accept applications
for EDCs to develop, own, or operate community solar projects beyond the
billing and other responsibilities set forth in this subchapter.
5. Projects will be presented to the Board
for approval for participation in the Pilot Program beginning with the
highest-scored project, and until the allocated program capacity for that year
is filled.
6. Board staff may
reject applications that are substantively incomplete at the close of the
application period, that are not in compliance with this subchapter, or that do
not meet a minimum standard for selection, as set forth in the application. The
Board reserves the right to request additional or modified information to
complete an application.
7.
Approved projects shall provide quarterly updates on the status of project
progress through a form to be made available by Board staff.
8. Approved projects are expected to become
fully operational (up to and including having subscribers receive bill credits
for their subscription to the project) within 18 months of their approval by
the Board. Board staff may approve one six-month extension if substantial
progress is demonstrated towards becoming fully operational within the initial
18-month period, as determined upon review by Board staff based on the specific
circumstances of the project. The Board may grant subsequent extensions if it
deems warranted upon review of a petition submitted to the Board.
9. Board staff may initiate more than one
application period per Program Year.
10. The application periods for PY2 and PY3
may be opened as early as 90 days prior to the end of the previous program
year.
11. In the approval process,
Board staff may determine that it is appropriate to limit the number of
projects approved for a single developer in a program year, in order to promote
a diverse pool of developers.
(d) Electric distribution companies shall,
subject to review and approval by the Board, be entitled to full cost recovery
for any incremental costs incurred in implementation, compliance, and
administration of the Pilot Program. EDCs may not set a separate fee or
surcharge for community solar projects unless explicitly authorized to do so by
the Board.
(e) The Board shall
publish information pertaining to the New Jersey Community Solar Energy Pilot
Program on its website including, but not limited to:
1. Application requirements and forms and
evaluation criteria.
2. The list of
approved community solar projects, including names, locations, and
sizes.
3. The total capacity of
approved projects for each program year.
4. Contact information for community solar
projects currently seeking subscribers. 14:8-9.4 Pilot Program capacity
limits
