Alliant Energy (Wisconsin Power and Light) - Advanced Renewables Tariff

September 29, 2010

Summary

Note: The solar portion of the Wisconsin Power and Light Advanced Renewables Tariff is fully subscribed (program cap met) for all technologies and is closed to new participants. Wisconsin Power and Light (WPL), a subsidiary of Alliant Energy, offers its retail electric customers a production incentive for electricity production from renewable energy sources as defined by Wis. Stat. § 196.378(1)(h). This definition includes solar, wind and biomass/biogas technologies. The production incentive is only available for facilities placed in service on or after January 1, 2007. Incentives and program limitations vary by technology as follows:

  • Solar: $0.25/kilowatt-hour (kWh) for systems of 1 kW - 20 kW; program cap of 683 kW
  • Biomass/biogas: $0.12/kWh on-peak and $0.0735/kWh off-peak for systems of 20 kW - 2 MW; non-solar program cap of 0.5% prior year retail electricity sales
  • Wind: $0.12/kWh on-peak and $0.0735/kWh off-peak for systems of 20 kW - 1 MW; non-solar program cap of 0.5% prior year retail electricity sales
  • Other: $0.12/kWh on-peak and $0.0735/kWh off-peak for systems of 20 kW - 1 MW; non-solar program cap of 0.5% prior year retail electricity sales
The on-peak period is defined as weekdays from 8 AM to 10 PM while the off-peak period consists of all other time periods and several holidays (e.g., Christmas, New Year's Day, etc.) designated as off-peak by the utility. Participants will receive a monthly credit on their bill according to the schedule described above and will receive a check from the utility whenever their net monthly bill credit exceeds $100. Solar participants in this program are required to enroll as purchasers in the Second Nature green pricing program, which charges a premium of between 0.5 and 2.0 cents/kWh depending on the level of participation. Residential customers must enroll at a minimum participation level of 25% of their electricity consumption (premium of 0.5 cents/kWh) while non-residential customers must enroll at a minimum of $10 per month. It is important to note that this is not a net metering program nor is it compatible with net metering. The customer purchases 100% of their electricity from the utility at the retail rate (plus their Second Nature participation) while the utility purchases 100% of the output of the renewable energy system through a 10-year, fixed price contract. Customers with systems of 200 kW or less must pay a fixed charge of $0.4176 per day ($152 per year), while customers with larger systems must pay a fixed charge of $0.8352 per day ($305 per year) in order to participate in the program. This configuration requires the installation of a second meter and the customer is responsible for furnishing and installing all equipment necessary to accommodate the second meter. Facilities must adhere to all applicable local, state, and national electric codes, rules and regulations, including the State of Wisconsin's Standard Interconnection Requirements. All renewable energy credits (RECs) and other environmental attributes produced by the system during the 10-year term of the contract will belong to the utility. Enrollment will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis until the program caps are met.

Program Overview

Implementing Sector: Utility
Category: Financial Incentive
State: Wisconsin
Incentive Type: Performance-Based Incentive
Web Site: http://www.alliantenergy.com/Environmental/SecondNature/017175
Administrator: Wisconsin Power and Light
Start Date: 01/01/2009
Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies:
  • Solar Photovoltaics
  • Wind (All)
  • Biomass
  • Landfill Gas
  • Wind (Small)
  • Anaerobic Digestion
Incentive Amount: Solar: $0.25/kWh
Non-solar: $0.12/kWh on-peak, $0.0735/kWh off-peak
Maximum Incentive: None specified, but system size limited by technology
Terms: Contract has term of 10 years; solar customers must enroll in Second Nature green pricing program

Authorities

Name: Advanced Renewable Distributed Generation Tariff
Effective Date: 01/01/2009

Contact

Name: Customer Assistance - Second Nature Program
Address: Alliant Energy, 8th Floor
Cedar Rapids IA 52406-0351
Phone: (800) 972-5325
Email: secondnature@alliantenergy.com

This information is sourced from DSIRE; the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewables and energy efficiency in the United States. Established in 1995, DSIRE is operated by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at N.C. State University.