BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS ELECTRICITY CORPORATION (RENEWABLE ENERGY) REGULATIONS MADE [ DATE ] UNDER SECTION 31 OF THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS ELECTRICITY CORPORATION ACT
1.
These Regulations may be cited as the British Virgin Islands Electricity
Corporation (Renewable Energy) Regulations. 2.
The purpose of these Regulations is to provide a framework to evaluate
and approve grid tie energy initiatives presented by consumers to help fulfil the Territory’s energy requirements from renewable resources, and reduce the Territory’s overall dependence upon imported fossil fuels. 3.
(1)
For the purposes of these regulations-
“Act” means the British Virgin Islands Electricity Corporation Act (No 7 of 1978), as amended; “consumer” means any person, group of persons, partnership, firm or body corporate receiving or desirous or receiving electricity supply from the Corporation; “Corporation” means the British Virgin Islands Electricity Corporation; “Electrical Code” means the National Electrical Code as published by the National Fire Protection Association of Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. as amended or replaced from time to time; “green energy licence” means a licence by the Minister under Regulation 4;
“Minister” means the Minister for Communications and Works, or such other Minister of Government for the time being responsible for the subject of electricity; “renewable energy” means energy which is generated from natural non-carbon based resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat; “grid tie” means energy technology that is capable of interacting with the Corporation’s utility grid and supplying power to the utility grid in compliance with the Electrical Code and any applicable anti islanding requirements; “net meter” means electrical meters capable of determining the direction of power transmission and recording the net consumption/supply of power from the consumers premises. 4.
Where a licence is granted by the Minister to a consumer to generate
electricity under section 36(1) of the Act, the Minister may upon application by the consumer grant a licence that any surplus electricity generated by the consumer by way of renewable energy above the consumer’s requirements shall be transmitted to mains supply utilising grid tie technology. 5.
(1)
In assessing a customer’s monthly tariff for the consumption of
Electricity where the consumer has been granted a green energy licence, the Corporation shall only charge the customer for the net units of electricity supplied by the Corporation to the consumer in excess of the number of units transmitted by the consumer to mains supply. (2)
If the number of units transmitted by a consumer to the mains
supply exceeds the number of units supplied by the Corporation to the consumer in any month, then the net number of units which the Corporation may charge the consumer for in that month shall be zero, but the Corporation shall not be liable to pay or credit any further sums to the consumer with respect to the units transmitted by the consumer to the mains supply in that month.
(3)
A consumer shall not be subrogated to any right of the Corporation
to receive any rates or charges for the supply of electricity by virtue of the consumer having transmitted electricity to the mains supply pursuant to a green energy licence. 6.
(1)
If the Minister grants a green energy licence, then the Corporation
shall install upon the consumer’s premises, or grant the consumer permission to install(a)
such equipment as is necessary to facilitate the safe transmission of electricity generated by the consumer to the mains grid relating to the grid tie; and
(b)
a net meter capable of recording the amount the electricity transmitted by the consumer to the mains grid, or offsetting such amount against the electricity supplied by the Corporation to the consumer.
(2)
The Minister may prescribe a schedule of fees in relation to the
installation of any equipment referred to in paragraph (1), which shall be consistent with the aim of encouraging grid tie technology. 7.
The Minister may impose such other conditions or requirements in conjunction
with the granting of a green energy licence as he may deem appropriate.