N.M. Admin. Code § 17.9.570.14 - NET METERING OF CUSTOMER-SITED QUALIFYING FACILITIES WITH A DESIGN CAPACITY UP TO AND INCLUDING 10KW

A. Relationship to other commission rules. The standards and procedures for the interconnection of qualifying facilities subject to this section (17.9.570.14 NMAC) are set forth in 17.9.568 NMAC.

B. Use of a single meter. When the customer is billed under a rate structure that does not include time-of-use energy pricing, a single energy meter shall be used to implement net metering of a qualifying facility unless an alternate metering arrangement is agreed to by the customer and utility. If either the utility or the customer requests an alternate form of metering or additional metering that is not required to accomplish net metering or is for the convenience of the party, the party requesting the change in metering shall pay for the alternate or additional metering arrangement. If the customer elects to take electric service under any rate structure, including time-of-use, that requires the use of metering apparatus or a metering arrangement that is more costly than would otherwise be necessary absent the requirement for net metering, the customer shall be required to pay the additional incremental cost of the required metering equipment. Within ten days of receiving notification from the customer of the intent to interconnect, the utility will notify the customer of any metering costs. Charges for special metering costs shall be paid by the customer, or arrangements for payment agreed to between the customer and utility, prior to the utility authorizing interconnected operation.

C. Net metering calculation. The utility shall calculate each customer's bill for the billing period using net metering and with the following conditions:

(1) Customers shall be billed for service in accordance with the rate structure and monthly charges that the customer would be assigned if the customer had not interconnected a qualifying facility. Net energy produced or consumed on a monthly basis shall be measured in accordance with standard metering practices.

(2) If electricity supplied by the utility exceeds electricity generated by the customer during a billing period, the customer shall be billed for the net energy supplied by the utility under the applicable rates.

(3) If electricity generated by the customer exceeds the electricity supplied by the grid during a billing period, the utility shall credit the customer on the next bill for the excess kilowatt-hours generated, by:

(a) crediting or paying the customer for the net energy supplied to the utility at the utility's energy rate pursuant to this 17.9.570 NMAC; or

(b) crediting the customer for the net kilowatt-hours of energy supplied to the utility. Unused credits shall be carried forward from month to month; provided that if a utility opts to credit customers and the customer leaves the system, customer's unused credits for excess kilowatt-hours generated shall be paid to the customer at the utility's energy rate pursuant to this 17.9.570 NMAC.

Notes

N.M. Admin. Code § 17.9.570.14

17.9.570.14 NMAC - N, 10-15-08, Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10, May 24, 2022, eff. 5/24/2022