Iowa Admin. Code r. 199-15.11 - [Effective 7/16/2025] Alternate energy purchase programs
This rule applies to utilities that elect rate regulation pursuant to Iowa Code section 476.1A where specifically stated.
(1)
Obligation to
offer programs.
a. All utilities
will file plans with the commission for alternative energy purchase programs
pursuant to Iowa Code section
476.47.
b. Each rate-regulated electric utility shall
demonstrate on an annual basis that it produces or purchases sufficient energy
from program AEP facilities located in Iowa to meet the needs of its Iowa
program. These Iowa-based AEP facilities shall not include AEP facilities for
which the utility has sought cost recovery under rule
199-20.9 (476) prior to July 1,
2001.
(2)
Customer notification.
a.
Each electric utility shall notify eligible customer classes of the
implementation or modification of AEP programs pursuant to Iowa Code section
476.47(3) and
will include the following, as applicable:
(1)
A description of the availability and purpose of the program or program
modification, clarifying that customer contributions will not involve the
direct sale of alternate energy to individual customers;
(2) The effective date of the program or
program modification;
(3) Customer
classes eligible for participation;
(4) Forms and levels of customer contribution
available to program participants;
(5) A utility telephone number for answering
customers' questions about the program; and
(6) Customer instructions that explain how to
participate in the program.
b. In addition to the notification
requirements under paragraph 15.11(2)"a," each rate-regulated
electric utility shall:
(1) Include fuel
report information described under subrule 15.11(5); and
(2) Submit the proposed notification to the
commission for approval at least 30 days prior to the proposed date of issuance
of the notification.
(3)
Program plan filing requirements
for rate-regulated utilities. Initial program plans and any subsequent
modifications filed by rate-regulated electric utilities will be subject to
commission approval. The initial program plan filing shall include:
a. The program tariff;
b. The program effective date;
c. A sample of the customer notification,
including a description of the method of distribution;
d. Customer classes eligible for
participation and the schedule for extending participation to all customer
classes;
e. Identification of each
AEP facility used for the program, including:
(1) Fuel type;
(2) Nameplate capacity;
(3) Estimated annual kilowatt-hour (kWh)
output;
(4) Estimated in-service
date;
(5) Ownership, including any
utility affiliation;
(6) A copy of
any contract for utility purchases from the facility;
(7) A description of the method or procedure
used to select the facility;
(8)
Facility location; and
(9) If the
facility is located outside of Iowa, an explanation of how the facility
qualifies under Iowa Code section
476.47(4);
f. The forms and levels of customer
contribution available to program participants, including but not limited to:
(1) kWh rate premiums applied to percentages
of participant kWh usage, with an explanation of how the kWh rate premiums are
derived; or
(2) kWh rate premiums
applied to fixed kWh blocks of participant usage, with an explanation of how
the kWh rate premiums are derived; or
(3) Fixed contributions, with an explanation
of how the fixed amounts are derived;
g. The maximum allowable time lag between the
beginning of customer contributions and the inservice date for identified AEP
facilities, and the procedures for suspending customer contributions if the
maximum time lag is exceeded;
h.
The intended treatment of program participants under rule
199-20.9 (476);
i. An accounting plan for identifying and
tracking participant contributions and program costs, including:
(1) Identification of incremental program
costs not otherwise recovered through the utility's rates, including but not
limited to program start-up and administration costs, program marketing costs,
and program energy and capacity costs associated with identified AEP
facilities;
(2) Methods for
quantifying, assigning, and allocating costs of the program and for segregating
those costs in the utility's accounts; and
j. A marketing and customer information plan,
including schedules and copies of all marketing and information materials, as
available.
(4)
Annual reporting requirements for rate-regulated utilities.
Each rate-regulated electric utility shall file with the commission a report of
program activity for the previous calendar year. The annual report shall
include:
a. Program information, including:
(1) The number of program participants, by
customer class;
(2) Participant
contribution revenues, by customer class, by form and level of contribution,
and by associated participant kWh sales;
(3) Program electricity generated from each
program AEP facility and the associated costs; and
(4) Other program costs, by cost
type.
b. An annual
reconciliation of participant contributions and program costs.
(1) Program costs are incremental costs
associated with the utility's alternate energy purchase program not otherwise
recovered through the utility's base tariff rates, and electricity costs
dedicated to the program and separated from the utility's energy automatic
adjustment clause as defined in rule
199-20.9 (476).
(2) The excess of participant contributions
over program costs is an annual program surplus, and the excess of program
costs over participant contributions is an annual program deficit.
(3) Annual program surpluses and deficits are
cumulative over successive years.
(4) A program deficit may be recovered
through the utility's energy automatic adjustment clause as defined in rule
199-20.9 (476).
(5) Any program surplus shall be used to
offset prior years' program deficits previously recovered through the energy
automatic adjustment clause, and the offset amount shall be credited through
the utility's energy automatic adjustment clause.
c. Identification of any other AEP or
renewable energy requirements being met with program AEP facilities and
identification of any revenues derived from the separate sale of the renewable
energy attributes of program AEP facilities.
d. Documentation that shows the energy
produced by the utility's program AEP facilities in Iowa (whether contracted,
leased, or owned), not including AEP facilities for which the utility has
sought cost recovery under rule
199-20.9 (476) prior to July 1,
2001, is sufficient to meet the requirement of the utility's Iowa AEP
program.
e. A description of
program marketing and customer information activities, including schedules and
copies of all marketing and information materials related to the
program.
f. Program modifications
and uses for any program surplus that are under consideration, including
procurement or assignment of additional electricity from AEP
facilities.
g. A copy of the
utility's annual fuel report to customers under subrule 15.11(5).
(5)
Annual fuel reporting
requirements for rate-regulated electric utilities.
a. Each rate-regulated electric utility shall
annually report to all of its Iowa customers its percentage mix of fuel and
energy inputs used to produce electricity. The report shall, to the extent
practical, specify percentages of electricity produced by coal, nuclear energy,
natural gas, oil, AEP electricity produced for the utility's AEP program,
non-program AEP electricity, and resources purchased from other companies.
The percentages for AEP electricity shall further specify percentages of electricity produced by wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and other technologies.
b. The
report shall include an estimate of sulfur dioxide
(SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for each known fuel and
energy input type. The emission estimate shall be expressed in pounds per 1000
kWh.
(6)
Tariff
filing requirements for non-rate-regulated electric utilities.
a. Utilities that are not subject to rate
regulation or that elect rate regulation pursuant to Iowa Code section
476.1A will include the
following information in tariffs filed pursuant to Iowa Code section
476.47(2)
"b" :
(1) The program
tariff;
(2) The program effective
date;
(3) A description of customer
notification efforts;
(4) Customer
classes eligible for participation; and
(5) Statement of compliance with Iowa Code
section 476.47(4).
b. Joint filings. Utilities subject to
paragraph 15.11(6)"a" may file a tariff jointly with other
non-rate-regulated utilities or through an agent. A joint tariff filing shall
contain the information required by paragraph 15.11(6)"a."
Each utility participating in the joint tariff shall be identified.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
For purposes of this rule, "MW" means megawatt, "MWH" means megawatt-hour, and "utility" means a
(1) Obligation to purchase from AEP facilities. Each utility shall purchase , pursuant to contract, its share of at least 105 MW of AEP generating capacity and associated energy production. The utility's share of 105 MW is based on the utility's estimated percentage share of Iowa peak demand, which is based on the utility's highest monthly peak shown in its 1990 FERC Form 1 annual report, and on its related Iowa sales and total company sales and losses shown in its 1990 FERC Form I and lE-I annual reports. Each utility's share of the 105 MW is determined to be as follows:
| Percentage Share of Iowa Peak | Utility Share of 105 MW | |||
| Interstate Power and Light | 47.43% | 49.8 MW | ||
| MidAmerican Energy | 52.57% | 55.2 MW |
A utility is not required to
(I) is not primarily engaged in the business of producing or selling electricity, gas, or useful thermal energy other than electricity, gas, or useful thermal energy sold solely from AEP facilities; and (2) does not sell electricity, gas, or useful thermal energy to residential users other than the tenants or the owner or operator of the facility.
(2) Purchases pursuant to a legally enforceable obligation. Each AEP facility shall provide electricity on a best-efforts basis pursuant to a legally enforceable obligation for the delivery of electricity over a specified contract term.
(3) Annual reporting requirement. Beginning April I, 2004, each utility shall file an annual report listing nameplate MW capacity and associated monthly MWH purchased from AEP facilities, itemized by AEP facility .
(4) Tariff filings. Rescinded lAB 6/I6/I0, effective 7/2I/I0.
(5) Net metering. Each utility shall offer to operate in parallel through net metering (with a single meter monitoring only the net amount of electricity sold or purchased) with an AEP facility , provided that the facility complies with any applicable standards established in accordance with these rules.
In the alternative, by choice of the facility, the utility and facility shall operate in a