General

Board approves net metering change

OPPD customers who want to generate their own energy have increased options for doing so starting Sept. 1. OPPD’s Board of Directors approved an increase to “the aggregate system size limit for net metering services” at its August board meeting.

The limit increases from 25 kilowatts (kW) to 100kW. The change accommodates customers who are seeking options in generating their own energy. The board passed the resolution unanimously.

Net metering is the process that measures customer generation and applies it to their usage.

When the customer generates more electricity than they use, they receive a credit for the net excess generation. OPPD applies the credit to future months’ bills during the year. If a customer has a credit balance at the end of the year, that amount will be paid out in full.

“In essence it is taking the customer’s meter and spinning it backwards when they produce more energy than they use,” said Kirk Estee, manager of Customer Alternative Energy Solutions at OPPD.

Customers can generate their own electricity through solar panels or other means.

The new net metering increase is the result of a change to Rider Schedule No. 483. This provides greater customer choice for those who wish to take advantage of it.

OPPD offers a number of different riders, including Community Solar, Residential Surge Guard and Green Power-Residential, among others. Those riders can be found on OPPD’s rate page.

OPPD’s net-metering rider will continue to evolve, said Beth Hoyle, Manager of Pricing and Rates, especially once Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is implemented in the coming years.

For more information about how to go solar with OPPD, make sure to check out www.OPPD.com/COG.