District of Columbia

Legislative activities

The DC Council enacted legislation, in 2008, for net metering of renewable energy. (Council Bill 17-492) [3]

Regulatory activities

The District of Columbia Public Service Commission developed rates dealing with distributed generators by 2006. The Commission had also addressed time metered residential and business service by 2010; one of the options for customers, available as of 2010, is real-time pricing. The Commission also addressed demand reduction with a Smart Meter Pilot Program, Inc (SMPPI) from 2008 through 2010 to test customer adoption of real-time pricing and critical peak pricing strategies. [2]

“Instead of overhauling the entire billing system and the process of mailing bills, it is possible to include a simple dynamic pricing line item adjustment in the current billing system and provide a detailed explanation of this dynamic pricing adjustment in a bill insert.” [1]

As the District of Columbia is within the PJM footprint there is the opportunity for end-use customers to participate in demand response though curtailment service providers.

Time metered rates break the cost for electricity into periods with energy priced seasonally.

Distributed generators include qualifying cogeneration, small power production facilities, and net metering. Excess energy is priced using PJM Locational Marginal Price (LMP) for Pepco zone.

The real-time pricing is based on the quoted hourly price available using PJM Locational Marginal Price (LMP) for Pepco zone.

Critical peak pricing strategies include billing electricity at a higher rate during high cost hours or crediting bills based on the value of load reduced during designated high cost hours.

Utilities and Rate Schedules

Potomac Electric Power Company
- Potomac Electric Power Company 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

The District of Columbia has a federal district incentive program on photovoltaics and wind.

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=DC

Additional Resources

District Department of the Environment:
- DDOE - Energy Administration

U.S. Federal District Authority Dealing with Energy Regulation:
- District of Columbia Public Service Commission
- Docket Search: http://www.dcpsc.org/edocket/searchdockets.asp

District of Columbia Code

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=DC

References

[1] Draft for Comment of the National Action Plan on Demand Response The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Staff Docket No. AD09-10, Prepared with the support of The Brattle Group, GMMB, Customer Performance Group, David Lineweber. URL: http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/03-12-10-demand-response.pdf
[2] PEPCO A PHI Company, Rate Schedules for Electric Service in the District of Columbia. URL: http://www.pepco.com/home/choice/dc/tariffs/
[3] Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, District of Columbia – Net Metering, 07/01/2009. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=DC01R&re=1&ee=1