Regulatory Commission of Alaska

701 W. Eighth Ave. Suite 300

Anchorage, Alaska, 99501

Comments considering Docket R-09-1: In the matter of the consideration of the adoption of

regulations implementing net metering. Respectfully submitted by [Your Name (personal or

company) Here].

To the Commissioners:

I would like to begin by thanking the Commission for the opportunity of offering my comments

on your tentative decisions of adopting an Alaskan Net Metering Standard. I support and

commend the Commission's tentative decisions to consider a state net metering standard. I

respectfully ask the Commission to consider adopting the following changes within this

proposal.

The most important change in the proposal that I can advocate for is to not allow utilities to

create special charges for customers who produce renewable energy. If a ratepayer participates in

net metering, a part of this proposal would allow utilities to charge net metering customers an

added fee. These charges undermine the point of net metering and will discourage people from

investing. For this reason I would like the following clause extracted from the proposal:”An

electric utility may petition the commission to change electric rate designs, consistent with 3

AAC 48.500 – 3 AAC 48.560, to include appropriate rate classes for net metered consumers if

the utility can demonstrate an adverse material rate impact on utility consumers that do not

participate in the net metering program.”

In addition, I would like to allow net metering to provide maximum benefits from renewable

energy systems. This will be accomplished through changing the proposal from a proposed

monthly billing cycle to an annual billing cycle. This will allow excess production from one

month to roll over as a credit to the next month. Accounting on an annual basis will give net

metering customers a maximum benefit from seasonal solar and wind resources.

The final change I would address is to increase the generation capacity for net metering systems.

The total capacity of net metered systems for a given utility should be limited at 1% of utilities

peak demand (when power demand is highest), not 1.5% of average demand. 1% of peak

demand allows many more systems to be connected than 1.5% of utilities average demand. If 1%

of peak demand can’t be met, then I recommend increasing the average demand to 2%. A larger

cap will allow for the renewable energy economy to grow, and not be limited unnecessarily.

I look forward to net metering in the future and I would like to thank you for the opportunity of

contributing to the important decisions being made in creating the next generation in Alaska’s

energy future. Thank you very much for your work and consideration.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]