Louisiana

Legislative activities

While the legislature has not yet approved any laws specifically addressing smart grids, the Louisiana state legislature has passed legislation focusing on net-metering standards. In June 2003 the Louisiana state legislature directed the Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC) to establish net-metering standards for certain renewable-energy systems. [2]

Regulatory activities

The Louisiana Public Service Commission first addressed demand side management with interruptible business accounts as early as 1995. By 2005, time of day rates were approved for business customers with distributed generation being addressed as early as 2006. [3, 4, 5]

“In August 2007, the Louisiana Public Service Commission adopted its Staff ’s April 2007 Final Proposed Rule, which does not specifically adopt or reject PURPA Standard 14 (“Time-Based Metering and Communications”) as enacted in EPACT 2005. Instead, it states that deployment, implementation, and use of both smart meters and demand response “shall be on a voluntary basis unless otherwise ordered by the Commission.” It also provides the framework for utility deployments of smart metering and demand response programs:

- Utilities will be allowed to deploy demand response and smart metering through pilot programs or through full-scale programs.
- “Utilities will have the opportunity to recover through their approved rates and charges prudently-incurred” costs associated with smart metering or demand response programs.
-While weighing the merits of a proposed smart metering program, the Commission will consider whether the program includes demand response.
- Utilities deploying smart meters will be required to file with the Commission bi-annual reports about the deployment.

The Commission, however, made a slight amendment to the rule: it decided that Section 3.6.9 of the rule will read, “Communication between the meter and its head-end system shall be consistent with an open standards architecture that is compliant with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).”

Furthermore, because the Staff’s Final Proposed Rule included a provision that the Commission’s Order adopting the rule should not preclude utilities that have “installed qualifying facilities from seeking recovery under this rule,” the Commission directed the Staff to further investigate “pilot program implementation for utilities” and Commissioner Field requested that Staff “consider commercial and industrial pilots, in addition to residential.”” [1]

Demand side management uses interruptible accounts provides limited access to power over a contracted firm demand specified in an Electric Service Agreement.

Time of day rates break the cost for electricity into periods on a seasonal basis and on-peak, or off-peak energy pricing.

Distributed generation include qualifying cogeneration and net metering systems. Qualifying cogeneration and net metering is priced annually based on the Company’s avoided costs.

Utilities and Rate Schedules

Cleco
- Cleco Rates

Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, LLC
- Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, LLC Residential Rates
- Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, LLC Business Rates

Entergy Louisiana, LLC
- Entergy New Orleans Residential Rates (Excluding Algiers)
- Entergy New Orleans Business Rates (Excluding Algiers)
- Entergy New Orleans Residential Rates (Algiers)
- Entergy New Orleans Business Rates (Algiers)

Entergy New Orleans
- Entergy New Orleans Residential Rates
- Entergy New Orleans Business 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

Louisiana offers a tax credit for solar and wind energy systems on residential property at the corporate and personal level, a solar energy system exemption, and sustainable energy financing districts.

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=LA

Additional Resources

State Energy Office:
- Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Technology Assessment Division State Energy Office

State Authority Dealing with Energy Regulation:
- Louisiana Public Service Commission
- Docket Search: http://lpscstar.louisiana.gov/star/portal/lpsc/page/Dockets/portal.aspx

Louisiana Revised 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=LA

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, Louisiana – Net metering, 06/14/2010. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=LA02R&re=1&ee=1
[3] CLECO, Retail Rates, 02/12/2010. URL: http://www.cleco.com/site71.php
[4] Entergy, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C., Commercial and Industrial Rate and Rider Schedules. URL: http://www.entergy-louisiana.com/your_business/EGSI_Tariffs.aspx
[5] Entergy, Entergy Louisiana, LLC (Algiers), Commercial and Industrial Rate and Rider Schedules. URL: http://www.entergy-louisiana.com/your_business/Algiers_Tariffs.aspx