Wyoming

Legislative activities

While the Wyoming state legislature has not yet approved any laws specifically addressing smart grids, the legislature passed legislation focusing on net-metering and interconnection standards in 2001. [2, 3]

Regulatory activities

The Wyoming Public Service Commission approved demand side management, through market mechanisms as well as physical interruption by 2001. The Commission had established Time of Use for business prior to 2009 later including Time of Use rates for energy storage under time of use. By 2007 the Commission had approved distributed generation, including net metering. [4, 5, 6, 7]

“In January 2007, the Wyoming Public Service Commission decided not to adopt PURPA Standard 14 (“Time-Based Metering and Communications”) as enacted in EPACT 2005. In the January 2007 Order the Commission concludes:

“The Commission finds the comments provided by the parties to this proceeding indicated there was no support for this section. The Commission finds adoption of this section is not a real opportunity for Wyoming ratepayers because the economic and social makeup of the state does not make smart metering a useful tool. However, the Commission finds there is support from the commenters [sic] to hold a technical conference on the subject of smart metering. Additionally, the Commission finds adoption of Section 328(D), regarding third-party marketers’ ability to sell electric energy to retail customers, would be illegal in Wyoming. Section 328(D) is inconsistent with state law, and 16 U.S.C. § 2623(a)(1) requires the PURPA standards, if adopted, to be consistent with state law. The Commission finds and concludes Section 328 should not be adopted.”” [1]

Demand side management includes interruptible accounts, Energy Exchange Programs, and Special General Controlled Electric service accounts. Interruptible accounts have the company notify the customer 18 hours before interruption, in which interruption can last for up to eight continuous hours. For interruptible accounts the contract will specify on-peak firm demand and on-peak baseline service levels. The Energy Exchange Program has the company notify the customer of an Exchange Event and the credit received by the customer is based on hours of notification required. When an Exchange Event is called if a customer does not meet their obligation they can be removed from program. A Special General Controlled Electric service account charges a reduced rate for company controlled electric equipment de-energized at the company's discretion.

Time of Use rates, including energy storage, break the cost of demand for electricity into on-peak or off-peak, or the cost of energy is priced on-peak and off-peak.

Distributed generation includes qualifying cogeneration, small power production and net metering facilities. For qualifying cogeneration and small power production facilities energy is priced as specified by the company in rate schedule. Net metering is available for any customer’s facility where energy production exceeds the energy supplied by the Company and excess energy is carried forward for billing purposes.

Utilities and Rate Schedules

Black Hills Power
- Black Hills Power Rates

Cheyenne Light Fuel & Power
- Cheyenne Light Fuel & Power Rates

Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.
- Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Rates

Rocky Mountain Power
- Rocky Mountain Power Rates

See the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) for information on consumer-owned Cooperatives: http://www.nreca.org/members/MemberDirectory/Pages/default.aspx

State-Level Incentives

Wyoming has tax exemptions, rebates, and loans for wind, water, and solar.

More information can be found in the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE): http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=WY

Additional Resources

State Energy Office:
- Wyoming Business Council Energy Program

State Authority Dealing with Energy Regulation:
- Wyoming Public Service Commission
- Docket Search: http://psc.state.wy.us/htdocs/asp/docketmain.asp

Wyoming Statutes

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE): http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=WY

References

[1] Demand Response and Smart Metering Policy Actions Since the Energy Policy Act of 2005: A Summary for State Officials, Prepared by the U.S. Demand Response Coordinating Committee for The National Council on Electricity Policy, Fall 2008. URL: http://www.oe.energy.gov/DocumentsandMedia/NCEP_Demand_Response_1208.pdf
[2] Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, Wyoming – Net Metering, 11/17/2009. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=WY01R&re=1&ee=1
[3] Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, Wyoming Interconnection Standards, 11/17/2009. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=WY02R&re=1&ee=1
[4] Rocky mountain Power, Wyoming Regulatory Information. URL: http://www.rockymountainpower.net/about/rar/wri.html
[5] Montana-Dakota utilities Co., Natural Gas & Electric Rates. URL: http://www.montana-dakota.com/Pages/ElectricandNaturalGasRates.aspx?state=Wyoming
[6] Cheyenne Light, Fuel & Power Company, Cheyenne, Wyoming. URL: http://www.cheyennelight.com/images/electricity.pdf
[7] Black Hills Power, Inc, Wyoming Division, Rapid City, South Dakota, Wyoming Electric Rate Book. URL: http://www.blackhillspower.com/pdf/WYTariff.pdf