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Minutes for HB2588 - Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications
Short Title
Increasing the capacity limitation for the total amount of facilities subject to net metering that may operate within the service territory of investor-owned electric utilities, requiring facilities to be appropriately sized based on the customer's average load and establishing requirements for exporting power to a utility from a facility subject to net metering.
Minutes Content for Thu, Feb 1, 2024
Chairperson Delperdang opened the hearing on HB2588.
Nick Myers provided the Revisor of Statutes review of the bill. (Attachment5) Mr. Myers responded to questions from committee members.
Chair recognized proponents for in person testimony as follows:
Mark Horst, King Solar (Attachment6) testified in support of the bill. Mr. Horst said it was encouraging process to work with varying stakeholders and present a balanced bill that lands on some very solid middle ground between the solar industry and the investor owned utilities in regards specifically to net metering. He added the bill has language that guarantees certainty for the solar industry while protecting the utility from drastic changes, such as the stepped approach to increasing the net metering cap from 1% to 5%.
Jeff Martin, Evergy (Attachment7) testified in support of the bill. Mr. Martin said the bill would amend the net metering statute to allow an increase in the 1% cap currently in place and al allow an increase in the size of rooftop solar systems from 15kW for residential and 100kW for commercial to 150kW for all customer classes. He added it is important that systems are appropriately sized so a customer cannot generate significantly more than they consume. Mr Martin agrees there is a need for some consumer protection language to ensure that Kansans are not taken advantage of by less than reputable rooftop solar companies.
Paul Snider, Kansans for Lower Electric Rates (Attachment8) testified in support of the bill and thanked the committee for the efforts putting the bill together.
Malcolm Proudfit, Good Energy Solutions (Attachment9) testified in support of the bill. Mr. Proudfit said the bill is a massive win economically for the state of Kansas and gives consumers more choices about their energy, jobs will be created, tax revenues will increase and the solar industry in the state will be able to catch up to other states with similar sunlight resources.
Zack Pistora, Kansas Sierra Club (Attachment10) testified in support of the bill. Mr. Pistora said Kansas has come along way in 10 years with net metering and gave credit to the committee and the working group for making changes with the bill presented.
David Nickel, CURB (Attachment11) testified in support of the bill.
The conferees responded to questions from the committee members.
Proponents- Written only testimony as follows:
Justin Cobb, The Nature Conservancy (Attachment12)
Rabbi Moti Rieber, Kansas Inter Faith Action (Attachment13)
Eric Stafford, Kansas Chamber (Attachment14)
Jeff Hohnbaum, Hutton Energy Services (Attachment15)
Chairperson Delperdang recognized Leo Haynos, KCC (Attachment16) testified as neutral on the bill. Mr. Haynos said the bill provides needed clarification to the existing statue between the customer and utility and provides clarification on size limitations of customer installations. He added the bill will increase the amount of system wide solar capacity from which a utility is required to purchase any power that is not consumed by the generator-customer. Mr. Haynos said the amendments together should increase the opportunity for customers to install more systems in Kansas and could be larger than today. He added consumer protection provisions for customer purchasing residential rooftop solar equipment needs provisions and requirements for solar installers selling and/or financing these equipment's installations to homeowners.
There were no opponent testimony.
The conferee responded to questions from the committee members.
Chairperson Delperdang closed the hearing on HB2588.
The next House Energy committee meeting will be Tuesday February 5th.
Chair adjourned the meeting at 10:38am.
