E-7 Rate Schedule Update
There have been recent changes to the E-7 rate schedule. This news may apply to you if PG&E received your application for the installation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system in 2007 through the California Solar Initiative (CSI) program or through Generation Interconnection Services (GIS), and you anticipated taking service on the E-7 or EL-7 rate schedule. In 2007 and early 2008, PG&E was only permitted to offer a limited number of E7 and EL-7 interconnections. Unfortunately, that meant not all customers could take service on E-7. To help correct this situation, PG&E asked the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for permission to offer E-7 to all eligible 2007 CSI and GIS solar applicants completing their projects in 2008. We are pleased to report that the CPUC approved this request on June 12, 2008. If you requested service under E-7 or EL-7 prior to January 1, 2008, you may begin taking this service between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009 as long as you satisfy both of the following conditions stipulated by PG&E’s tariffs:
1) You submitted to PG&E one of the following three items for your solar installation: (a) A California Solar Initiative Application on or before December 31, 2007, or (b) An Interconnection Application (either Form Number 79-994, 79974 or 79-1101) between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2007, or (c) A signed PG&E Customer Declaration Regarding Rate E-7/EL-7 Eligibility as a California Energy Commission New Solar Homes Partnership (NSHP) Rebate Recipient for a Single Family Custom Home (PG&E Form 79-1106), declaring you relied on the availability of rate Schedule E-7 when you applied for a single family custom home rebate for your own residence through the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) New Solar Home Partnership program between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2007. 2) You must submit to PG&E either of the following for your solar installation: (a) Final approved building permit from your local authority on or before December 31, 2008, or (b) Reasonable evidence, acceptable to PG&E, of continued efforts to secure an approved building permit and finalize construction on or before December 31, 2008. In addition, PG&E must receive the final approved building permit by no later than June 30, 2009.
If you meet these criteria, you currently have the opportunity to choose E-7 or EL-7 instead of E-1 or E-6 as your rate schedule for enrollment in the Net Energy Metering (NEM) Program. (A copy of the complete E7/EL-7 Rate Schedule can be found at: http://www.pge.com/tariffs/ERS.SHTML#ERS) Also, if you are an eligible solar customer that submitted your solar application in 2007 as provided in condition (1) above and you interconnected to PG&E under rate schedules E1, E-6, or E8 (EL-1, EL-6, or EL-8) after January 1, 2008, you may make a one-time election of E-7 (EL-7). This option is available as long as you notify PG&E of your choice no later than December 31, 2008. We look forward to your full participation in our NEM Program and processing of your rate selection. If we do not hear from you by December 31, 2008, we will assume that your current rate schedule of E-1, E-6 or E-8 is satisfactory. If you have any questions regarding the requirements needed to successfully finalize your interconnection, please contact GIS at 415-972-5676. To switch to E7/EL-7 with a currently interconnected PV system, please contact PG&E’s Solar Customer Service Center at 1-877-743-4112. The Solar Customer Service Center is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thank you again for choosing to generate your own renewable energy by going solar.