Chapter 196

196.377(1) (1) Promotion of renewable energy systems. The commission shall encourage public utilities to develop and demonstrate electric generating technologies that utilize renewable sources of energy, including new, innovative or experimental technologies. The commission may ensure that a public utility fully recovers the cost of developing, constructing and operating such demonstrations through rates charged to customers of the utility.

196.377(2) (2) Eastern Wisconsin utilities.

196.377(2)(a) (a) In this subsection:

196.377(2)(a)1. 1. “Eastern Wisconsin utility” means a public utility, other than a municipal utility that, on May 12, 1998, provided retail electric service to customers in the geographic area of the state that was served by the reliability council on that date.

196.377(2)(a)2. 2. “Municipality” means a city, town or village.

196.377(2)(a)3. 3. “Municipal utility” means a public utility that is a municipality or that is wholly owned or operated by a municipality.

196.377(2)(a)4. 4. “Reliability council” means the Mid-America Interconnected Network, Inc., reliability council of the North American Electric Reliability Council.

196.377(2)(b) (b) Except as provided in par. (d), no later than December 31, 2000, each eastern Wisconsin utility shall construct or procure, on a competitive basis, the construction of an aggregate total of 50 megawatts of new electric capacity in this state that is, to the satisfaction of the commission, generated from renewable energy sources. Each eastern Wisconsin utility shall construct or procure the construction of a share of the aggregate total required under this paragraph that corresponds to the utility’s share, as determined by the commission, of the aggregate demand for electricity that is supplied by the utilities in this state.

196.377(2)(c) (c) An eastern Wisconsin utility may procure the construction required under par. (a) by issuing requests for proposals no later than September 30, 1998.

196.377(2)(d) (d) The commission may allow an eastern Wisconsin utility to comply with the requirements under par. (b) by a date that is later than December 31, 2000, if the commission determines that the later date is necessary due to circumstances beyond the utility’s control.

196.377(2)(e) (e) Any new electric capacity that is generated from a wind power project for which an eastern Wisconsin utility has received a proposal before May 12, 1998, may be counted in determining whether the utility has satisfied the requirements under par. (b).

196.377(2)(f) (f) The commission shall allow an eastern Wisconsin utility to recover in its retail electric rates any costs that are prudently incurred by the utility in complying with the requirements under par. (b).

196.377 History History: 1993 a. 418; 1997 a. 204.

196.378 196.378 Renewable resources.

196.378(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

196.378(1)(ag) (ag) “Baseline renewable percentage” means the average of an energy provider’s renewable energy percentage for 2001, 2002, and 2003.

196.378(1)(am) (am) “Biomass cofired facility” means a renewable facility in which biomass and conventional resources are fired together.

196.378(1)(ar) (ar) “Biomass” means a resource that derives energy from wood or plant material or residue, biological waste, crops grown for use as a resource or landfill gases. “Biomass” does not include garbage, as defined in s. 289.01 (9), or nonvegetation-based industrial, commercial or household waste, except that “biomass” includes refuse-derived fuel used for a renewable facility that was in service before January 1, 1998.

196.378(1)(b) (b) “Conventional resource” means a resource that derives energy from coal, oil, nuclear power or natural gas, except for natural gas used in a fuel cell.

196.378(1)(c) (c) “Electric provider” means an electric utility or retail electric cooperative.

196.378(1)(d) (d) “Electric utility” means a public utility that sells electricity at retail. For purposes of this paragraph, a public utility is not considered to sell electricity at retail solely on the basis of its ownership or operation of a retail electric distribution system.

196.378(1)(dm) (dm) “Large hydroelectric facility” means an electric generating facility with a capacity of 60 megawatts or more that derives electricity from hydroelectric power.

196.378(1)(fg) (fg) “Renewable energy” means electricity derived from a renewable resource.

196.378(1)(fm) (fm) “Renewable energy percentage” means, with respect to an electric provider for a particular year, the percentage that results from dividing the sum of the megawatt hours represented by the following by the total amount of electricity that the electric provider sold to retail customers or members in that year:

196.378(1)(fm)1. 1. The renewable resource credits created from the electric provider’s total renewable energy in that year.

196.378(1)(fm)2. 2. Any renewable resource credits in addition to the renewable resource credits specified in subd. 1. that the electric provider elects to use in that year.

196.378(1)(fr) (fr) “Renewable energy supplier” means a person from whom an electric provider purchases renewable energy at wholesale.

196.378(1)(g) (g) “Renewable facility” means an installed and operational electric generating facility, located in or outside this state, that generates renewable energy.

196.378(1)(h) (h) “Renewable resource” means any of the following:

196.378(1)(h)1. 1. A resource that derives electricity from any of the following:

196.378(1)(h)1.a. a. A fuel cell that uses, as determined by the commission, a renewable fuel.

196.378(1)(h)1.b. b. Tidal or wave action.

196.378(1)(h)1.c. c. Solar thermal electric or photovoltaic energy.

196.378(1)(h)1.d. d. Wind power.

196.378(1)(h)1.e. e. Geothermal technology.

196.378(1)(h)1.g. g. Biomass.

196.378(1)(h)1.h. h. Synthetic gas created by the plasma gasification of waste.

196.378(1)(h)1.i. i. Densified fuel pellets made from waste material that does not include garbage, as defined in s. 289.01 (9), and that contains no more than 30 percent fixed carbon.

196.378(1)(h)1.j. j. Fuel produced by pyrolysis of organic or waste material.

196.378(1)(h)1.k. k. Heat that is a byproduct of a manufacturing process.

196.378(1)(h)1m. 1m. A resource that derives electricity from hydroelectric power.

196.378(1)(h)2. 2. Any other resource, except a conventional resource, that the commission designates as a renewable resource in rules promulgated under sub. (4).

196.378(1)(i) (i) “Renewable resource credit” means a credit calculated in accordance with rules promulgated under sub. (3) (a) 1., 1m., and 2.

196.378(1)(j) (j) “Resource” means a source of energy used to generate electric power.

196.378(1)(k) (k) “Retail electric cooperative” means a cooperative association organized under ch. 185 that sells electricity at retail to its members only. For purposes of this paragraph, a cooperative association is not considered to sell electricity at retail solely on the basis of its ownership or operation of a retail electric distribution system.

196.378(1)(m) (m) “Small hydroelectric facility” means an electric generating facility with a capacity of less than 60 megawatts that derives electricity from hydroelectric power.

196.378(1)(o) (o) “Total renewable energy” means the total amount of renewable energy that the electric provider sold to its customers or members in a year. “Total renewable energy” does not include any energy that is used to comply with the renewable energy requirements of another state. “Total renewable energy” includes all of the following:

196.378(1)(o)1. 1. Renewable energy supplied by a renewable facility owned or operated by an affiliated interest or wholesale supplier of an electric provider and allocated to the electric provider under an agreement between the electric provider and the affiliated interest or wholesale supplier.

196.378(1)(o)2. 2. Renewable energy purchased by an affiliated interest or wholesale supplier of an electric provider from a renewable facility that is not owned or operated by the affiliated interest or wholesale supplier, which renewable energy is allocated to the electric provider under an agreement between the electric provider and the affiliated interest or wholesale supplier.

196.378(1)(p) (p) “Wholesale supplier” has the meaning given in s. 16.957 (1) (w).

196.378(2) (2) Renewable resource energy.

196.378(2)(a) (a)

196.378(2)(a)1. 1. No later than June 1, 2016, the commission shall prepare a report stating whether, by December 31, 2015, the state has met a goal of 10 percent of all electric energy consumed in the state being renewable energy. If the goal has not been achieved, the report shall indicate why the goal was not achieved and how it may be achieved, and the commission shall prepare similar reports biennially thereafter until the goal is achieved. The commission shall submit reports under this subdivision to the governor and chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2).

196.378(2)(a)2. 2. Except as provided in pars. (e), (f), and (g):

196.378(2)(a)2.a. a. For the years 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, each electric provider may not decrease its renewable energy percentage below the electric provider’s baseline renewable percentage.

196.378(2)(a)2.b. b. For the year 2010, each electric provider shall increase its renewable energy percentage so that it is at least 2 percentage points above the electric provider’s baseline renewable percentage.

196.378(2)(a)2.c. c. For the years 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, each electric provider may not decrease its renewable energy percentage below the electric provider’s renewable energy percentage required under subd. 2. b.

196.378(2)(a)2.d. d. Except as provided in subd. 2. f., for the year 2015, each electric provider shall increase its renewable energy percentage so that it is at least 6 percentage points above the electric provider’s baseline renewable percentage.

196.378(2)(a)2.e. e. Except as provided in subd. 2. f., for each year after 2015, each electric provider may not decrease its renewable energy percentage below the electric provider’s renewable energy percentage required under subd. 2. d.

196.378(2)(a)2.f. f. If an electric provider has a baseline renewable percentage that exceeds 12 percent and a renewable energy percentage that exceeds 14 percent for the year 2014, the electric provider shall maintain its renewable energy percentage in the years 2015 and thereafter at a level that is at least 2 percentage points above its baseline renewable percentage.

196.378(2)(b) (b) For purposes of determining compliance with par. (a):

196.378(2)(b)1. 1. The total amount of electricity that an electric provider sold to retail customers or members in a year shall be calculated on the basis of an average of the electric provider’s retail electric sales in this state during the prior 3 years.

196.378(2)(b)1m. 1m. The amount of electricity derived from small hydroelectric facilities that an electric provider may count toward satisfying the requirements of par. (a) 2. shall be all electricity provided by such facilities that the electric provider purchased in the reporting year plus all of the following:

196.378(2)(b)1m.a. a. The average of the amounts of hydroelectric power generated by small hydroelectric facilities owned or operated by the electric provider for 2001, 2002, and 2003, adjusted to reflect the permanent removal from service of any of those facilities and adjusted to reflect any capacity increases from improvements made to those facilities on or after January 1, 2004.

196.378(2)(b)1m.b. b. The amount of hydroelectric power generated in the reporting year by small hydroelectric facilities owned or operated by the electric provider that are initially placed in service on or after January 1, 2004.

196.378(2)(b)1o. 1o. An electric provider may count electricity derived from a large hydroelectric facility toward satisfying the requirements of par. (a) 2. only if the facility was initially placed in service on or after December 31, 2010, and, if the facility is located in Manitoba, Canada, all of the following are satisfied:

196.378(2)(b)1o.a. a. The province of Manitoba has informed the commission in writing that the interim licenses under which the Lake Winnipeg Regulation Project and the Churchill River Diversion Project were operating on December 31, 2015 have been replaced by final licenses.

196.378(2)(b)1o.b. b. The final licenses specified in subd. 1o. a. are in effect under Canadian law.

196.378(2)(b)2. 2. The amount of electricity supplied by a biomass cofired facility that may be counted toward satisfying the requirements of par. (a) shall be an amount equal to the product of the maximum amount of electricity that the facility is capable of generating and the ratio of the energy content of the biomass fuels to the energy content of both the biomass and conventional resources.

196.378(2)(b)4. 4. A wholesale supplier may sell credits that it creates and may aggregate and allocate the credits that it creates among its members or customers. A member or customer may sell credits or portions of a credit allocated to the member or customer by the wholesale supplier.

196.378(2)(b)5. 5. An electric provider that purchases renewable energy from a renewable energy supplier may use an allocated share of the renewable energy sold by the renewable energy supplier to comply with a requirement under par. (a) 2. or to create a credit under sub. (3) (a), provided that the cost of the renewable energy is included in the price the electric provider paid the renewable energy supplier.

196.378(2)(bm) (bm) Each electric provider shall annually retire renewable resource credits sufficient to satisfy the electric provider’s renewable energy percentage required under par. (a) 2.

196.378(2)(c) (c) No later than April 15 annually, or another annual date specified by the commission by rule, an electric provider shall submit a report to the commission that identifies the electric provider’s renewable energy percentage for the previous year and describes the electric provider’s compliance with par. (a) 2. and the electric provider’s implementation plans for future compliance. Reports under this paragraph may include certifications from renewable energy suppliers regarding the sources and amounts of renewable energy supplied to the electric provider. The commission may specify the documentation that is required to be included with reports submitted under this paragraph. The commission may require that electric providers submit the reports in a proceeding, initiated by the commission under this section relating to the implementation of s. 1.12, or in a proceeding for preparing a strategic energy assessment under s. 196.491 (2). No later than 90 days after the commission’s receipt of an electric provider’s report, the commission shall inform the electric provider whether the electric provider is in compliance with par. (a) 2.

196.378(2)(d) (d) The commission shall allow an electric utility to recover from ratepayers the cost of providing total renewable energy to its retail customers in amounts that equal or exceed the percentages specified in par. (a). Subject to any approval of the commission that is necessary, an electric utility may recover costs under this paragraph by any of the following methods:

196.378(2)(d)1. 1. Allocating the costs equally to all customers on a kilowatt-hour basis.

196.378(2)(d)2. 2. Establishing alternative price structures, including price structures under which customers pay a premium for renewable energy.

196.378(2)(d)3. 3. Any combination of the methods specified in subds. 1. and 2.

196.378(2)(e) (e) An electric provider, or a wholesale supplier for its members, may request that the commission grant a delay for complying with a deadline specified in par. (a) 2. The commission shall hold a hearing on the request and, if requested by the electric provider or wholesale supplier, treat the matter as a contested case. The commission shall grant a delay if the commission determines that the applicant has demonstrated good faith efforts to comply with the deadline and that any of the following applies:

196.378(2)(e)1. 1. Notwithstanding reasonable efforts to protect against undesirable impacts on the reliability of an electric provider’s system, compliance with the deadline will have an undesirable impact on the reliability of the applicant’s system.

196.378(2)(e)2. 2. Notwithstanding reasonable efforts to protect against unreasonable increases in rates of the applicant’s ratepayers or members, compliance with the deadline will result in unreasonable increases in rates of the applicant’s ratepayers or members, including increases that are due to the discontinuation of federal renewable energy tax credits or other federal policies intended to reduce the acquisition costs of renewable energy.

196.378(2)(e)3. 3. Notwithstanding reasonable efforts to obtain required approvals, the applicant cannot comply with the deadline because the applicant or a supplier has experienced or will experience delays in receiving required siting or permitting approvals for renewable energy projects.

196.378(2)(e)4. 4. Notwithstanding reasonable efforts to secure transmission service, the applicant cannot comply with the deadline because the applicant faces transmission constraints that interfere with the economic and reliable delivery of renewable energy to the applicant’s system.

196.378(2)(f) (f) A wholesale electric cooperative for its members or a municipal electric company for its members may delay compliance with a deadline specified in par. (a) 2. for any reason specified in par. (e) 1. to 4. A wholesale electric cooperative or a municipal electric company that delays compliance with a deadline specified in par. (a) 2. shall inform the commission of the delay and the reason for the delay, and shall submit information to the commission demonstrating that, notwithstanding good faith efforts by the wholesale electric cooperative or municipal electric company and its members, the members cannot meet the deadline for the stated reason.

196.378(2)(g) (g)

196.378(2)(g)1. 1. In this paragraph, “energy consumer advocacy group” means a group or organization that advocates on behalf of its members’ interests regarding the cost, availability, and reliability of energy or regarding utility regulation.

196.378(2)(g)2. 2. An energy consumer advocacy group may request that the commission grant to an electric provider that serves one or more members of the group a delay for complying with a deadline specified in par. (a) 2. The commission shall hold a hearing on the request and, if requested by the energy consumer advocacy group, treat the matter as a contested case. The commission shall grant a delay if the commission determines that the utility has demonstrated good faith efforts to comply with the deadline and that any of the conditions in par. (e) 1. to 4. apply.

196.378(3) (3) Renewable resource credits.

196.378(3)(a) (a)

196.378(3)(a)1. 1. Each megawatt hour of an electric provider’s total renewable energy creates one renewable resource credit for the electric provider. Subject to subd. 2., an electric provider that exceeds its renewable energy percentage required under sub. (2) (a) 2. may, in the applicable year, bank any excess renewable resource credits or any portion of any excess renewable resource credit for use in a subsequent year or sell any excess renewable resource credits or any portion of any excess renewable resource credit to any other electric provider at any negotiated price. An electric provider that creates or purchases a renewable resource credit or portion may use the credit or portion, as provided under par. (c), to establish compliance with sub. (2) (a) 2. The commission shall promulgate rules that establish requirements for the creation and use of a renewable resource credit created on or after January 1, 2004, including calculating the amount of a renewable resource credit, and for the tracking of renewable resource credits by a regional renewable resource credit tracking system. The rules shall specify the manner for aggregating or allocating credits under this subdivision or sub. (2) (b) 4. or 5.