Pe r mitting of Solar Pr oje c ts in Ve r mont Pre se nte d b - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Pe r mitting of Solar Pr oje c ts in Ve r mont Pre se nte d b y Je a nnie Olive r, Spe c ia l Co unse l, De pa rtme nt o f Pub lic Se rvic e

AGE NDA  10 minute o ve rvie w inc luding :  I ntro duc tio n: wha t is Se c tio n 248?  Se c tio n 248 Crite ria g e ne ra lly.  Se c tio n 248 Pro c e sse s – the full pro c e ss, the e xpe dite d pro c e ss, a nd e ve rything in b e twe e n.  Oppo rtunity fo r Que stio ns

I ntro duc tio n Wha t is Se c tio n 248?  Requires energy, gas, telecom, and water developers to obtain a Certificate of Public Good (CPG) from the Public Service Board  Board considers 10 statutory criteria, including environmental criteria from Act 250 plus issues like need, reliability, economic benefit, and the general public good  Different pathways for different size and type of projects http://www.leg.state.vt.us/statutes/fullsection.cfm?Title=30&Chapter=005&Section=00248

I ntro duc tio n Pa rtie s in the § 248 Pro c e ss Pub lic Se rvic e Bo a rd: De c isio n Ma ke r I nte rve no rs Sta tuto ry pa rtie s Applic a nt I nte rve ntio n a s o f Pe rmissive De pa rtme nt ANR Rig ht I nte rve ntio n 30 V.S.A. §§ 2(a )(7) a nd 2(b ) 30 V.S.A. § 248(a )(4)(E ) PSB Rule 2.209(A) PSB Rule 2.209(B) E .g ., Munic ipa l le g isla tive Sta te E .g ., Adjo ining Sta te Pub lic b o dy a nd Pla nning e nviro nme nta l la nd o wne rs I nte re st Co mmissio n – Ac t 56 inte re sts * So me a mb ig uity re g a rd ing sta tus o f Munic ipa l Munic ipa l pub lic Priva te inte re sts inte re st Pa rtic ipa tio n – sta tuto ry vs. inte rve ntio n a s o f rig ht

I ntro duc tio n T he Pub lic I nte re st  Bo a rd : 30 V.S.A. § 248(a )(2) – Ca n’ t b e g in site pre pa ra tio n fo r o r c o nstruc tio n o f a n e le c tric g e ne ra tio n fa c ility within the Sta te “unle ss the Pub lic Se rvic e Bo a rd first finds tha t the sa me will pro mo te the g e ne ra l g o o d o f the Sta te a nd issue s a c e rtific a te to tha t e ffe c t.”  De pa rtme nt: 30 V.S.A. § 2(b ): “the De pa rtme nt sha ll re pre se nt the inte re sts o f the pe o ple o f the Sta te , unle ss o the rwise spe c ifie d b y la w.”  Ba la nc ing e xe rc ise b a se d o n the a pplic a b le 248 c rite ria .

I ntro duc tio n T he Pub lic I nte re st  I de a lly, the pub lic inte re st in 248 pro c e e ding s wo uld lo o k so me thing like this: Munic ipa l Re g io na l Ra te pa ye rs De ve lo pe rs E nviro nme nta l Adjo ining la ndo wne rs

248 Crite ria Se c tio n 248 Crite ria Ge ne ra lly  T he Bo a rd c o nside rs 10 sta tuto ry c rite ria se t o ut a t Se c tio n 248(b ), inc luding :  mo st o f the e nviro nme nta l c rite ria fro m Ac t 250 (248(b )(5)),  o rde rly de ve lo pme nt (248(b )(1)),  ne e d (248(b )(2)),  syste m sta b ility a nd re lia b ility (248(b )(3)),  e c o no mic b e ne fits (248(b )(4)).

248 Crite ria So me § 248 Crite ria Ma y Be Wa ive d fo r Sma lle r Pro je c ts  Ne t Me te ring :  30 V.S.A. § 219a (c ) g ive s the Bo a rd a utho rity to e na c t rule s o r o rde rs wa iving § 248 c rite ria .  PSB Rule 5.108 se ts o ut the c rite ria whic h a re no t c o nditio na lly wa ive d: Syste m sta b ility a nd re lia b ility; o rde rly de ve lo pme nt; e nviro nme nta l c o nside ra tio ns; o utsta nding re so urc e wa te rs.  Re ne wa b le E ne rg y Pla nts up to 2.2 MW  30 V.S.A. § 8007(b ) g ive s the Bo a rd a utho rity to e na c t rule s o r o rde rs wa iving § 248 c rite ria . Se e Orde r o f 8/ 31/ 2010  Co nditio na l wa ive r o f ne e d; wa te r c o nse rva tio n; suffic ie nc y o f wa te r a nd b urde n o n e xisting wa te r supply, e duc a tio na l se rvic e s; c o mplia nc e with E le c tric E ne rg y Pla n a nd L e a st Co st Inte g ra te d Re so urc e Pla n. E c o no mic b e ne fit c o nditio na lly wa ive d fo r sta nda rd o ffe r pro je c ts o nly.

248 Crite ria Orde rly De ve lo pme nt  § 248(b )(1)  Due c o nside ra tio n g ive n to the re c o mme nda tio ns o f the munic ipa l a nd re g io na l pla nning c o mmissio ns; munic ipa l le g isla tive b o die s; a nd la nd c o nse rva tio n me a sure s c o nta ine d within the pla n o f a n a ffe c te d munic ipa lity.  Cha lle ng e s:  T ime limita tio ns fo r ma king re c o mme nda tio ns.  T o wn pla ns o fte n a spira tio na l, no t spe c ific .  No t lo c a l zo ning re g ula tio ns a nd b yla ws.

248 Crite ria Orde rly De ve lo pme nt  Ac t 56 Se c tio n 26c inse rte d § 248(b )(1)(B)  Re q uire s so la r fa c ilitie s to c o mply with the sc re e ning re q uire me nts o f a munic ipa l b yla w a do pte d unde r 24 V.S.A. § 4414(15) o r a munic ipa l o rdina nc e a do pte d unde r 24 V.S.A. § 2291(28), unle ss the Bo a rd finds tha t suc h c o mplia nc e wo uld pro hib it o r ha ve the e ffe c t o f pro hib iting the insta lla tio n o f suc h a fa c ility o r ha ve the e ffe c t o f inte rfe ring with the fa c ility’ s inte nde d use .

248 Crite ria Ae sthe tic s  § 248(b )(5) a nd 10 V.S.A. § 6086(a )(8)  Ne t Me te ring : PSB Rule 5.109  “Will no t ha ve a n undue a dve rse e ffe c t o n the sc e nic o r na tura l b e a uty o f the a re a , a e sthe tic s, histo ric site s o r ra re a nd irre pla c e a b le na tura l a re a s.”

248 Crite ria Ae sthe tic s  Bo a rd ha s a do pte d the Que c he e a na lysis:  Adve rse ?  K e y c o nc e pt: Out o f c ha ra c te r with its surro unding s.  Unduly a dve rse ? T hre e fa c to rs:  Vio la te s c le a r, writte n, c o mmunity sta nda rd inte nde d to pre se rve the a e sthe tic s o r sc e nic b e a uty o f the a re a .  Ge ne ra lly a va ila b le mitig a ting ste ps whic h a re a so na b le pe rso n wo uld ta ke to impro ve the ha rmo ny o f the pro je c t with its surro unding s.  Sho c king a nd o ffe nsive to the a ve ra g e pe rso n.  Sig nific a ntly info rme d b y the o ve ra ll so c ie ta l b e ne fits o f the pro je c t.

248 Crite ria Syste m Sta b ility a nd Re lia b ility  § 248(b )(3)  “Will no t a dve rse ly a ffe c t syste m sta b ility a nd re lia b ility.”  Ne t Me te ring :  PSB Rule 5.100 Appe ndix A se ts o ut re q uire me nts fo r syste ms up to 150 kW.  Othe r pro je c ts:  PSB Rule 5.500 I nte rc o nne c tio n Pro c e dure s  Cha lle ng e : se e ing a numb e r o f pro po se d pro je c ts tha t will c re a te vo lta g e flic ke r.

248 Pro c e sse s Ove rvie w o f the 248 Pro c e sse s L e a st Pro c e ss Mo st Pro c e ss Ne t Me te ring Ne t Me te ring Ne t Me te ring Re ne wa b le s o nly o nly o nly F ull 248 248(j) up to 2.2 Pro c e ss 15 kw 150 kW 500 kW MW Re g istra tio n Applic a tio n Pe titio n

248 Pro c e sse s Ne t Me te ring Pro c e sse s  Syste ms ≤ 15 kW sola r :  Re g istra tio n F o rm to PSB, PSD, a nd utility o nly.  10 da y c o mme nt pe rio d. I f no c o nc e rns ra ise d, CPG is de e me d issue d o n 11 th da y.  Rule 5.110(A)  Syste ms ≤ 150 kW  Applic a tio n F o rm to PSB, PSD, a nd utility. I f fa c ility is no t o n e xisting struc ture , the n a c o py must g o to ANR, lo c a l pla nning c o mmissio n, munic ipa l le g isla tive b o dy, a ll a djo ining la nd o wne rs.  10 da y c o mme nt pe rio d fo r fa c ilitie s o n e xisting struc ture s; 30 da ys fo r g ro und mo unte d fa c ilitie s.  Sub je c t to minimum se t b a c k re q uire me nts: 40 fe e t fro m munic ipa l hig hwa y, 25 fe e t fro m pro pe rty b o unda ry. §248(s).  Rule 5.110(B).

248 Pro c e sse s Ne t Me te ring Pro c e sse s  Syste ms up to 500 kW (up to 5 MW in spe c ia l c a se s).  45 da y pre -filing no tic e pe rio d to PSB, PSD, ANR, a djo ining pro pe rty o wne rs, utility, munic ipa l le g isla tive b o die s, munic ipa l a nd re g io na l pla nning c o mmissio n.  F ile pe titio n, inc luding e xhib its a nd te stimo ny with c o py to PSD, ANR, utility, a nd lo c a l a nd re g io na l pla nning c o mmissio n. No tic e o f filing to munic ipa l le g isla tive b o dy a nd a djo ining pro pe rty o wne rs.  21 da y c o mme nt pe rio d.  Sub je c t to minimum se t b a c k re q uire me nts: 100 fe e t fro m munic ipa l hig hwa y, 50 fe e t fro m pro pe rty b o unda ry. §248(s).  Rule 5.110(C).  Syste ms > 500 kW sub je c t to re g ula r 248 pro c e sse s

248 Pro c e sse s § 248(j) Pro je c ts o f L imite d Size a nd Sc o pe  E xpe dite d re vie w o f c e rta in pro je c ts o f limite d size & sc o pe tha t do no t ra ise sig nific a nt issue s w/ r/ t § 248 c rite ria  Bo a rd ma y issue Orde r witho ut ho lding pub lic o r e vide ntia ry he a ring s, b ut Bo a rd will first issue no tic e o f the pro po se d pro je c t a nd CPG to a numb e r o f sta te a g e nc ie s a nd to the munic ipa l a nd re g io na l pla nning c o mmissio ns a nd munic ipa l le g isla tive b o dy (e ntitie s liste d a t § 248(a )(4)(C)).  28 da y c o mme nt pe rio d fro m da te o f Bo a rd’ s no tic e .