Section 118.06. Renewable energy tracking system program administrator.

 

(1)  The commission shall do any of the following:

(a) Using a competitive process, contract with a program administrator who shall operate either a statewide or a regional renewable energy tracking system.

(b) Participate in a regional organization that contracts with a program administrator who shall operate a statewide or regional renewable energy tracking system.

(2)  The program administrator shall:

(a) Create an account for each electric provider.

(b) Create an account for each certified renewable facility or certified displacement facility that participates in the tracking system and requests a separate account.

(c) Upon request, register each renewable facility the commission has certified, including the following data about the facility:

1. Its tracking system account number.

2. Its location, owner, technology, date placed in service, and rated capacity.

3. Its expected annual energy production.

4. Information about the facility's meter that allows the program administrator to verify its accuracy.

5. Any additional data the commission deems necessary for proper operation of the tracking system.

(cm) Upon request by the commission, register each displacement facility the commission has certified, including the following data about the facility:

1. Its tracking system account number.

2. Its location, owner, technology, and date placed in service.

3. Its estimated annual amount of displaced conventional electricity.

4. Any additional data the commission considers necessary for proper operation of the tracking system.

(d) Establish and maintain a system for tracking renewable energy certificates and RRCs that does all of the following:

1. Issues a unique electronic certificate for each MWh of renewable energy measured at the bus bar of a certified renewable facility that is located in the area covered by the tracking system, that is owned by a participating electric provider, or that is under contract to deliver electric energy to a participating electric provider. The certificate shall identify which certified renewable facility produced the MWh, when it was produced, and any other characteristics the commission finds necessary.

1m. Issues a unique electronic certificate for each MWh of conventional electricity displaced by a certified displacement facility that complies with ss. PSC 118.03 and 118.04 , as calculated under s. PSC 118.09 . The certificate shall identify which displacement facility displaced the MWh, when the facility operated, and any other characteristics the commission finds necessary.

2. Records renewable energy certificate and RRC ownership and each transfer between account holders.

3. Retires each renewable energy certificate and RRC that meets any of the following circumstances:

a. An electric provider uses the renewable energy certificate or RRC to meet all or part of its minimum percentage requirement under s. 196.378 (2) (a) , Stats.

b. An electric provider chooses to retire the renewable energy certificate or RRC for any other reason.

(e) Audit registered renewable facilities, as needed, to verify the accuracy of metered production data.

(em) Audit registered displacement facilities, as needed, to verify the amount of displaced conventional electricity.

(f) Track and report each electric provider's compliance with the minimum percentage requirement under s. 196.378 (2) (a) , Stats.

(g) Perform any other function the commission may designate.

(3)  The program administrator may create an exchange procedure for purchasing and selling renewable energy certificates and RRCs.

(4)  

(a) Annually, the program administrator shall report to the commission the costs incurred in operating the renewable energy tracking system and recommend an assessment of these costs to electric providers and other tracking system participants that hold tracking system accounts.

(b) The commission shall review the cost allocation that the program administrator proposes under par. (a) and approve or modify this allocation. The commission shall assess these costs to each electric provider, pursuant to s. 196.85 (1) and (1m) (a) , Stats.

(5)  An electric provider may not use renewable energy from a decertified renewable facility to meet the electric provider's minimum percentage requirement under s. 196.378 (2) (a) , Stats., that was produced after the facility is decertified. The program administrator may not issue RRCs for energy from a decertified renewable facility that was produced after the facility is decertified. The program administrator may not issue RRCs for conventional electricity displaced by the operation of a decertified displacement facility which displacement occurred after the facility is decertified.

CR 00-065 : cr. Register July 2001, No. 547 eff. 8-1-01; CR 06-112 : (5) renum. from PSC 118.05 (6) and am., am. (1) and (4) (a), r. and recr. (2), Register May 2007 No. 617 , eff. 6-1-07; CR 10-47 : am. (title), renum. (1) to be (1) (intro.) and am., cr. (1) (a), (b), am. (2) (b), (c) (intro.), 5., cr. (2) (cm), am. (2) (d) (intro.), cr. (2) (d) 1m., am. (2) (d) 2. 3., a., r. and recr. (2) (d) 3. b., r. (2) (d) 3. c., cr. (2) (em), am. (3), (4) (a), (5) Register March 2012 No. 675 , eff. 4-1-12; CR 13-040 : am. (2) (b), (c) 1., (cm) (intro.), 1., (d) 1m., (em), (5) Register April 2014 No. 700 , eff. 5-1-14.