Raised Bill No. 298, introduced in the February Session, 2024, is an act concerning a study on the feasibility and benefits of combining energy storage system deployment with new residential solar installations. The bill mandates the chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to conduct a study that includes examining the advantages of increasing the number of energy storage systems that can store energy from residential solar photovoltaic systems, how existing or new state programs could encourage such combined installations, and the potential use of federal funding to support these installations. The study is to be comprehensive and must be reported to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly with jurisdiction over energy and technology matters by January 1, 2025.

The bill does not include any deletions from current law but inserts new legal language to initiate the study. The purpose of the bill is to explore the possibility of enhancing the deployment of energy storage batteries alongside new residential solar installations, which could potentially lead to increased efficiency and utility of solar energy systems in residential settings. The act is set to take effect upon passage and will create a new section in the law as indicated by the insertion tags in the bill's text.