The Mississippi Public Service Commission will hold a hearing next month on its new net metering rule.
Central District Commissioner Brent Bailey told the Northside Sun that the commission originally scheduled the hearing for its February 8 meeting, but moved the date to March 1 to give the parties more time.
The commission is looking to finalize its new net metering rule that will mark the first change to the original one passed by the commission in 2015.
Net metering is a practice where utility customers (both business and household) generate their own electricity from renewable sources such as solar or wind power and can sell it back to the grid.
The PSC conducted its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, voting to conduct a hearing in a dispute between Airus and AT&T over payments for use of local interconnection facilities shared between the two networks.
The commission delegated authority to Northern District Commissioner Brandon Presley to hold separate public hearings on two water systems — Marshall County Water Association and the Mt. Comfort Water Association — that seek to expand their service areas.
The PSC also voted to delegate authority to PSC general counsel Ross Hammons to hold hearings on:
- A proposed sewer system in DeSoto County owned by Great River Utility Operating Company.
- A request by Great River to expand water service to a specified area of LaFayette County.
- Great River establishing initial and temporary rates for water service for the Twelve Oaks subdivision in LaFayette County.
- Another request to establish temporary, initial rates for wastewater service to the Lake Forest subdivision in Warren County.
The hearing on March 1 will allow the commission to hear testimony and comments on its new metering rule.
Under the new rule, utilities would provide a $3,000 upfront, one-time cash rebate for low-income customers to install a renewable generation unit that can range in capacity from 3 kilowatts to 6 kilowatts. Also, low-income customers can take advantage of a $1,000 one-time energy efficiency rebate program as well.
The new rule would also deal with schools wanting to sell back their generated power back to the grid. The new rule will mandate both Entergy and Mississippi Power provide their plans for offering solar for schools within 60 days of final adoption of the new rule.
The price paid by utilities to net metering customers will remain the same at 2.5 cents per kilowatt hour in addition to the avoided cost, which is the base rate by which the utilities supply electricity to an individual customer. Low-income customers participating in the program would receive an additional 2 cents per kilowatt hour.
This story has been changed to reflect the net metering rate.
