Louisiana Community Solar - Net Metering and Distributed Generation

Summary

Louisiana's community solar rules were established in September 2019, when the Louisiana Public Service Commission approved changes to the state’s rules for distributed generation facilities (per Docket No. R-33929). Under the new policy facilities installed there are two rate schedules for distributed generation facilities:

Rider Schedule NM

Owners of qualifying distributed generation facilities installed before December 31st, 2019 would use their current net metering billing and be grandfathered in for 15 years until December 31st, 2034. During each billing month, these customers will pay the applicable retail rate for the difference between the electricity (in kWh) purchased from the utility and the electricity (in kWh) supplied to the grid.  If a customer provides more electricity than is purchased in a given month, the customer receives the minimum bill and the excess kWhs are applied to the following month's bill. See Rider Schedule NM for more billing information.

Rider Schedule DG

Owners of qualifying distributed generation facilities installed after Dec. 31, 2019, will be billed under Rider Schedule DG, which applies a crediting mechanism known as two-channel billing. During each billing month, customers will pay the applicable retail rate for all electricity (in kWh) purchased from the utility and will receive the full retail value for all electricity that they produce and use behind the meter at their home or business. Any surplus energy not used by the customer and sent back to the grid will be credited to the customer's bill at the current Avoided Cost rate of approximately $0.0368. The customer's monthly bill can be reduced to the fixed Customer Charge or minimum bill, but not less than that amount; any additional bill credit remaining will be carried over to the following month's bill.

System Capacity Limit

Under Louisiana's community solar rules, capacity is up to 300 kW.