§ 17-900

(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 104-458 ) Sec. 17-900. Customer self-generation of electricity. (a) The General Assembly finds and declares that municipal systems and electric cooperatives shall continue to be governed by their respective governing bodies, but that such governing bodies should recognize and implement policies to provide the opportunity for their residential and small commercial customers who wish to self-generate electricity and for reasonable credits to customers for excess electricity, balanced against the rights of the other non-self-generating customers. This includes creating consistent, fair policies that are accessible to all customers and transparent, fair processes for raising and addressing any concerns. (b) Customers have the right to install renewable generating facilities to be located on the customer's premises or customer's side of the billing meter and that are intended primarily to offset the customer's own electrical requirements and produce, consume, and store their own renewable energy without discriminatory repercussions from an electric cooperative or municipal system. This includes a customer's rights to: (1) generate, consume, and deliver excess renewable energy to the distribution grid and reduce his or her use of electricity obtained from the grid; (2) use technology to store energy at his or her residence; (3) interconnect his or her electrical system that generates renewable energy, stores energy, or any combination thereof, with the electricity meter on the customer's premises that is provided by an electric cooperative or municipal system: (A) in a timely manner; (B) in accordance with requirements established by the electric cooperative or municipal utility to ensure the safety of utility workers; and (C) after providing written notice to the electric cooperative or municipal utility system providing service in the service territory, installing a nomenclature plate on the electrical meter panel and meeting all applicable State and local safety and electrical code requirements associated with installing a parallel distributed generation system; and (4) receive fair credit for excess energy delivered to the distribution grid. (c) The policies of municipal systems and electric cooperatives regarding self-generation and credits for excess electricity may reasonably differ from those required of other entities by Article XVI of the Public Utilities Act or other Acts. The credits must recognize the value of self-generation to the distribution grid and benefits to other customers. (d) Within 180 days after this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, each electric cooperative and municipal system shall update its policies for the interconnection and fair crediting of customer self-generation and storage if necessary, to comply with the standards of subsection (b) of this Section. Each electric cooperative and municipal system shall post its updated policies to a public-facing area of its website. (e) An electric cooperative or municipal system customer who produces, consumes, and stores his or her own renewable energy shall not face discriminatory rate design, fees or charges, treatment, or excessive compliance requirements that would unreasonably affect that customer's right to self-generate electricity as provided for in this Section. (f) An electric cooperative or municipal utility system customer shall have a right to appeal any decision related to self-generation and storage that violates these rights to self-generation and non-discrimination pursuant to the provisions of this Section through a complaint under the Administrative Review Law or similar legal process. (Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21.) (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 104-458 ) Sec. 17-900. Customer self-generation of electricity. (a) The General Assembly finds and declares that municipal systems and electric cooperatives shall continue to be governed by their respective governing bodies, but that such governing bodies should recognize and implement policies to provide the opportunity for their residential and small commercial customers who wish to self-generate electricity and for reasonable credits to customers for excess electricity, balanced against the rights of the other non-self-generating customers. This includes creating consistent, fair policies that are accessible to all customers and transparent, fair processes for raising and addressing any concerns. (b) Customers have the right to install renewable generating facilities to be located on the customer's premises or customer's side of the billing meter and that are intended primarily to offset the customer's own electrical requirements and produce, consume, and store their own renewable energy without discriminatory repercussions from an electric cooperative or municipal system. This includes a customer's rights to: (1) generate, consume, and deliver excess renewable energy to the distribution grid and reduce his or her use of electricity obtained from the grid; (2) use technology to store energy; (3) interconnect his or her electrical system that generates renewable energy, stores energy, or any combination thereof, with the electricity meter on the customer's premises that is provided by an electric cooperative or municipal system: (A) in a timely manner; (B) in accordance with requirements established by the electric cooperative or municipal utility to ensure the safety of utility workers; and (C) after providing written notice to the electric cooperative or municipal utility system providing service in the service territory, installing a nomenclature plate on the electrical meter panel and meeting all applicable State and local safety and electrical code requirements associated with installing a parallel distributed generation system; (4) receive fair credit for excess energy delivered to the distribution grid; and (5) for residential and small commercial customers, interconnect renewable energy systems sized up to and including 25 kW AC. (c) The policies of municipal systems and electric cooperatives regarding self-generation and credits for excess electricity may reasonably differ from those required of other entities by Article XVI of the Public Utilities Act or other Acts. The credits must recognize the value of self-generation to the distribution grid and benefits to other customers. (c-5) The policies of municipal systems and electric cooperatives regarding self-generation and credits for excess electricity shall not require customers to name the municipal system or electric cooperative as an additional insured on the customer's insurance policies or have any minimum liability limit requirement in connection with the installation and operation of renewable generating facilities if the renewable generating facilities meet the safety standards listed in the applicable interconnection agreement and the contractor used to install the renewable generating facilities is licensed and possesses commercial general liability insurance coverage of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate per year. (d) Within 180 days after this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, each electric cooperative and municipal system shall update its policies for the interconnection and fair crediting of customer self-generation and storage if necessary, to comply with the standards of subsection (b) of this Section. Each electric cooperative and municipal system shall post its updated policies to a public-facing area of its website. (e) An electric cooperative or municipal system customer who produces, consumes, and stores his or her own renewable energy shall not face discriminatory rate design, fees or charges, treatment, or excessive compliance requirements that would unreasonably affect that customer's right to self-generate electricity as provided for in this Section. (f) An electric cooperative or municipal utility system customer shall have a right to appeal any decision related to self-generation and storage that violates these rights to self-generation and non-discrimination pursuant to the provisions of this Section through a complaint under the Administrative Review Law or similar legal process.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 104-458, eff. 6-1-26.)