Title 30: Public Service
Chapter 89: RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAMS
30 V.S.A. § 8005. Sustainably priced energy enterprise development (SPEED) program; total renewables targets
§ 8005 § 8005. Sustainably priced energy enterprise development (SPEED) program; total renewables targets
(a) Creation. To achieve the goals of section 8001 of this title, there is created the Sustainably Priced Energy Enterprise Development (SPEED) program.
(b) Board; powers and duties. The SPEED program shall be established, by rule, order, or contract, by the board. As part of the SPEED program, the board may, and in the case of subdivisions (1), (2), and (5) of this subsection, shall:
(1) Name one or more entities to become engaged in the purchase and resale of electricity generated within the state by means of SPEED resources. An entity appointed under this subdivision shall be known as a SPEED facilitator.
(2) Issue standard offers for SPEED resources in accordance with section 8005a of this title.
(3) Maximize the benefit to rate payers from the sale of tradeable renewable energy credits or other credits that may be developed in the future, especially with regard to those plants that accept the standard offer issued under subdivision (2) of this subsection.
(4) Encourage retail electricity provider and third party developer sponsorship and partnerships in the development of renewable energy projects.
(5) In accordance with section 8005a of this section, require all Vermont retail electricity providers to purchase from the SPEED facilitator the power generated by the plants that accept the standard offer required to be issued under section 8005a. For the purpose of this subdivision (5), the board and the SPEED facilitator constitute instrumentalities of the state.
(6) Establish a method for Vermont retail electrical providers to obtain beneficial ownership of the renewable energy credits associated with any SPEED projects, in the event that a renewable portfolio standard comes into effect under the provisions of section 8004 of this title. It shall be a condition of a standard offer required to be issued under subdivision (2) of this subsection that tradeable renewable energy credits associated with a plant that accepts the standard offer are owned by the retail electric providers purchasing power from the plant, except that in the case of a plant using methane from agricultural operations, the plant owner shall retain such credits to be sold separately at the owner's discretion.
(7) [Repealed.]
(8) Provide that in any proceeding under subdivision 248(a)(2)(A) of this title for the construction of a renewable energy plant, a demonstration of compliance with subdivision 248(b)(2) of this title, relating to establishing need for the plant, shall not be required if the plant is a SPEED resource and if no part of the plant is financed directly or indirectly through investments, other than power contracts, backed by Vermont electricity ratepayers.
(9) Take such other measures as the board finds necessary or appropriate to implement SPEED.
(c) VEDA; eligible facilities. Developers of in-state SPEED resources shall be entitled to classification as an eligible facility under 10 V.S.A. chapter 12, relating to the Vermont Economic Development Authority.
(d) Goals and targets. To advance the goals stated in section 8001 of this title, the following goals and targets are established.
(1) 2012 SPEED goal. The board shall meet on or before January 1, 2012 and open a proceeding to determine the total amount of SPEED resources that have been supplied to Vermont retail electricity providers or have been issued a certificate of public good. If the board finds that the amount of SPEED resources coming into service or having been issued a certificate of public good after January 1, 2005 and before July 1, 2012 equals or exceeds total statewide growth in electric retail sales during that time, and in addition, at least five percent of the 2005 total statewide electric retail sales is provided by SPEED resources or would be provided by SPEED resources that have been issued a certificate of public good, or if it finds that the amount of SPEED resources equals or exceeds 10 percent of total statewide electric retail sales for calendar year 2005, the portfolio standards established under this chapter shall not be in force. The board shall make its determination by Janu
ary 1, 2013. If the board finds that the goal established has not been met, one year after the board's determination the portfolio standards established under subsection 8004(b) of this title shall take effect.
(2) 2017 SPEED goal. A state goal is to assure that 20 percent of total statewide electric retail sales during the year commencing January 1, 2017 shall be generated by SPEED resources that constitute new renewable energy. On or before January 31, 2018, the board shall meet and open a proceeding to determine, for the calendar year 2017, the total amount of SPEED resources that were supplied to Vermont retail electricity providers and the total amount of statewide retail electric sales.
(3) Determinations. For the purposes of the determinations to be made under subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection (d), the total amount of SPEED resources shall be the amount of electricity produced at SPEED resources owned by or under long-term contract to Vermont retail electricity providers that is new renewable energy.
(4) Total renewables targets. This subdivision establishes, as percentages of annual electric sales, target amounts of total renewable energy within the supply portfolio of each retail electricity provider.
(A) The target amounts of total renewable energy established by this subsection shall be 55 percent of each retail electricity provider's annual electric sales during the year beginning January 1, 2017, increasing by an additional four percent each third January 1 thereafter, until reaching 75 percent on and after January 1, 2032.
(B) Each retail electricity provider shall manage its supply portfolio to be reasonably consistent with the target amounts established by this subdivision (4). The board shall consider such consistency during the course of reviewing a retail electricity provider's charges and rates under this title, integrated resource plans under section 218c of this title, and petitions under section 248 (new gas and electric purchases, investments, and facilities) of this title. However, nothing in this subdivision (4) shall relieve a retail electricity provider from the obligations of section 8004 (renewable portfolio standards) of this title.
(e) Regulations and procedures. The board shall provide, by order or rule, the regulations and procedures that are necessary to allow the board and the department to implement, and to supervise further the implementation and maintenance of the SPEED program. These rules shall assure that decisions with respect to certificate of public good applications for construction of SPEED resources shall be made in a timely manner.
(f) Preapproval. In order to encourage joint efforts on the part of regulated companies to purchase power that meets or exceeds the SPEED standards and to secure stable, long-term contracts beneficial to Vermonters, the board may establish standards for pre-approving the recovery of costs incurred on a SPEED project that is the subject of that joint effort.
(g) State; nonliability. The state and its instrumentalities shall not be liable to a plant owner or retail electricity provider with respect to any matter related to SPEED, including costs associated with a standard offer contract under this section or section 8005a of this title or any damages arising from breach of such a contract, the flow of power between a plant and the electric grid, or the interconnection of a plant to that grid.
(h)-(n) [Deleted.] (Added 2005, No. 61, § 4; amended 2005, No. 208 (Adj. Sess.), § 15; 2007, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 22; 2009, No. 45, § 4, eff. May 27, 2009; 2009, No. 159 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 3, 4, 5, 8, eff. June 4, 2010; 2011, No. 47, § 8 (eff. May 25, 2011) and § 18; 2011, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. May 18, 2012.)