New PIM Chapter Released: Stakeholder Feedback Requested!
The draft of the Balance of PIM chapter regarding how and when bill credits are applied to utility bills, subscription payments, and cancellations is now available under Resources on the stakeholder engagement site and ready for comment. The deadline for comments is 10/18/2019.
Feedback submissions are limited to one per organization. Any individual or organization can submit feedback on chapter sections or submit general comments. Instructions on submitting feedback can be found on the Resources page on the stakeholder engagement site: https://orcsplaunch.wordpress.com/resources/
We want to hear from you!
There are several program policies that have yet to be confirmed and you have an opportunity to provide feedback on what is proposed. The Oregon Public Utility Commission recently released a policy proposal associated with the UM 1930 docket that provides recommendations for the following program requirements:
- Low-income subscriber eligibility
- Minimum low-income capacity requirements
- Financial benefits for low-income subscribers
- Transition from start-up to ongoing program costs
- Bill credit rate
- Transition to RVOS
The final staff memo will be released on October 4th and stakeholder comments are due on October 15th. For any Commission comments or questions contact Caroline Moore at [email protected] or Natascha Smith at [email protected].
Important Program Dates
The following are important launch dates to keep in mind if you are a potential project manager, interested subscriber, or invested stakeholder.
Policy Dates:
- 10/4/19 – OPUC releases final policy recommendations for interconnection, bill credits, start-up to ongoing costs transition, and income-qualification issues. Open for comment
- 10/15/19 – Last day to submit stakeholder written comment
- 10/22/19 – Commission presents final policy at public meeting
- 10/29/19 – Special public meeting held to decide on policy issues
Program Implementation Manual Dates:
- Week of 9/30/19 – Balance of PIM chapter released
- 10/4/19 – 10/18/19 – Written stakeholder comments accepted
- 11/18/19 – Final PIM posted and open for comments
- 12/3/19 – Public meeting to discuss final PIM
Program Launch
- 12/4 – Project pre-certification platform opens—project managers can begin compiling project applications
- 12/16 – Project Administrator opens pre-certification; project managers can begin submitting project applications
Project Manager Registration is Open!
If you are interested in developing a community solar project, you can now register as a project manager! To learn more about what it means to be a project manager and the associated requirements, visit the Program Development Process page and read the first draft of the project managers chapter. This is a draft chapter—the final chapter will be posted on the Program Implementation Manual page after it has been approved by the Oregon Public Utility Commission.
For more information on project manager guidelines, visit the Project Manager Resources page for downloadable materials.
After reviewing the requirements and resources, visit the enrollment page under the “Project Managers” tab to submit your registration.
Registered project managers will be able to submit their projects for pre-certification starting early December. For more program updates, visit the News section periodically to check for updates.
If you have any questions about project manager registration or participation, contact [email protected].