(3) means the South Carolina Public Service ‘Commission’ Commission. (4) shall be defined as set forth in Section ‘Electrical utility’ 582710(7), provided, however, that electrical utilities serving less than one hundred thousand customer accounts shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter. (5) means the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act ‘PURPA’ of 1978, as amended. (6) power means a person or corporation ‘Small producer’ owning or operating a small power ‘qualifying production facility’ as defined in 16 U.S.C. Section 796, as amended. (7) means avoided cost rates and power ‘Standard offer’ purchase agreement terms and conditions approved by the commission and applicable to purchases of energy and capacity by electrical utilities as provided in this chapter from small power producers up to five megawatts AC in size. Section 584140. (A) The commission shall conduct a proceeding not later than ninety days after the effective date of this act, and at least every two years thereafter, to review and approve electrical avoided cost methodologies, standard offers, and utilities’ adherence to commissionapproved interconnection standards and this chapter and to form power purchase agreements consistent with PURPA. Such proceedings shall be separate from the electrical fuel cost proceedings pursuant to Section 5827865 utilities’ annual and shall include an opportunity for intervention, discovery, testimony, and an evidentiary hearing. The Office of Regulatory Staff shall represent the interests of the public at all proceedings. (B) In approving the avoided cost methodology, standard offer, and form contract for each electrical utility, the commission shall ensure that, to the extent possible, small power producers are treated on a fair and equal footing with electrical utilityowned resources through the provision of rates for the purchase of energy and capacity that fully and accurately reflect the electrical utility’s avoided costs and power purchase agreement terms and conditions and that are commercially reasonable and provide the small power producer a reasonable opportunity to attract capital. The commission shall also ensure that each electrical avoided utility’s cost methodology fairly accounts for costs avoided by the electrical utility if the small power includes energy storage producer’s facility equipment. Avoided cost methodologies proposed by electrical utilities and approved by the commission may account for differences in costs avoided based on the geographic location and resource type of a small power facility. producer’s
(3) ‘Commission’ means the South Carolina Public Service Commission. (4) ‘Electrical utility’ shall be defined as set forth in Section 582710(7), provided, however, that electrical utilities serving less than one hundred thousand customer accounts shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter. (5) ‘PURPA’ means the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, as amended. (6) ‘Small power producer’ means a person or corporation owning or operating a ‘qualifying small power production facility’ as defined in 16 U.S.C. Section 796, as amended. (7) ‘Standard offer’ means avoided cost rates and power purchase agreement terms and conditions approved by the commission and applicable to purchases of energy and capacity by electrical utilities as provided in this chapter from small power producers up to five megawatts AC in size. Section 584140. (A) The commission shall conduct a proceeding not later than ninety days after the effective date of this act, and at least every two years thereafter, to review and approve electrical utilities’ avoided cost methodologies, standard offers, and adherence to commissionapproved interconnection standards and this chapter and to form power purchase agreements consistent with PURPA. Such proceedings shall be separate from the electrical utilities’ annual fuel cost proceedings pursuant to Section 5827865 and shall include an opportunity for intervention, discovery, testimony, and an evidentiary hearing. The Office of Regulatory Staff shall represent the interests of the public at all proceedings. (B) In approving the avoided cost methodology, standard offer, and form contract for each electrical utility, the commission shall ensure that, to the extent possible, small power producers are treated on a fair and equal footing with electrical utilityowned resources through the provision of rates for the purchase of energy and capacity that fully and accurately reflect the electrical utility’s avoided costs and power purchase agreement terms and conditions and that are commercially reasonable and provide the small power producer a reasonable opportunity to attract capital. The commission shall also ensure that each electrical utility’s avoided cost methodology fairly accounts for costs avoided by the electrical utility if the small power producer’s facility includes energy storage equipment. Avoided cost methodologies proposed by electrical utilities and approved by the commission may account for differences in costs avoided based on the geographic location and resource type of a small power producer’s facility.