Description

The subscription cap for the Experimental Advanced Renewable Energy Purchase Service has been met and applications are no longer being accepted. The program is unlikely to reopen. This entry is for informational purposes only.

Xcel Energy will purchase 100% of the electricity and associated renewable energy credits (RECs) generated by its Wisconsin customers using qualifying renewable energy systems. The purchase will take the form of a 10-year, fixed-rate contract between the customer and the utility. Distributed generation systems must use a renewable resource and have an initial placed in service date of no earlier than January 1, 2008. Renewable resources are defined as all resources eligible under the Wisconsin RPS (Wis. Stat. § 196.378(1)(h)), except refuse-derived fuels. This definition includes wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal electric, biomass, biogas, fuel cells using renewable fuels, geothermal electric, tidal, wave, and small hydroelectric systems.

Predetermined per-kWh purchase prices have been set for wind systems, biomass/biogas, and solar systems, while rates for other technologies will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis between the utility and the customer generator.  Solar projects also receive a $1.50 per kW incentive in addition to the $0.11/kWh rate. There is no minimum size requirement, and maximum capacity limits vary with project type: solar is limited to 10 kW; biomass, biogas, and wind systems are limited to 5 MW for community-based projects and 2 MW for non-community projects. All systems must meet the state interconnection requirements and be connected to the grid at a voltage of 50 kV or less.

The customer is responsible for the installation of a separate electric meter and all other associated equipment and installation costs. The tariff also contains monthly metering charges ranging from $6.40 to $13.80 per month for different sized systems. The program will remain open until aggregate subscriptions account for 0.25% of previous year retail sales.