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1 S.140
2 Introduced by Senators Watson, Bray, Campion, Harrison, Hashim,
3 MacDonald, McCormack, Perchlik, Vyhovsky and White
4 Referred to Committee on
5 Date:
6 Subject: Public service; energy; energy storage; costs and benefits
7 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to create a study
8 committee to evaluate the costs and benefits of energy storage to electricity
9 customers, utility providers, and the energy storage industry in Vermont.
10 An act relating to an energy storage study committee
11 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
12 Sec. 1. ENERGY STORAGE COSTS AND BENEFITS; STUDY
13 COMMITTEE
14 (a) Creation. There is created the Legislative Energy Storage Study
15 Committee (Committee) to evaluate the economic, environmental, and energy
16 costs and benefits of energy storage to electricity customers, utility providers,
17 and the energy storage industry in Vermont.
18 (b) Membership. The Committee shall be composed of the following
19 members:
20 (1) appointed by the Committee on Committees:
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1 (A) a current member of the Senate;
2 (B) a representative of the energy storage industry;
3 (C) a representative of a municipally owned electric utility in
4 Vermont;
5 (D) a representative of an electric co-op utility in Vermont; and
6 (E) an academic expert in the field of energy storage;
7 (2) appointed by the Speaker of the House:
8 (A) a current member of the House of Representatives;
9 (B) a representative of a business that uses significant electric power
10 in Vermont;
11 (C) a representative of a commercial-scale energy storage owner;
12 (D) a representative of an investor-owned utility; and
13 (E) a representative of the renewable energy development industry,
14 appointed by the Speaker of the House; and
15 (3) a member of the Public Utilities Commission, or designee.
16 (c) Powers and duties. The Committee shall assess opportunities and
17 potential challenges in growing Vermont’s energy storage sector, including the
18 following:
19 (1) evaluate Vermont’s current policy and markets for energy storage to
20 identify opportunities for, and challenges to, sector growth and capture its
21 benefits for Vermont consumers;
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1 (2) assess the range of potential storage technologies, along with value
2 streams and use cases, including bring-your-own-device programs;
3 (3) evaluate the costs and benefits of different storage deployment
4 options with considerations of equity, scale, economic efficiency and effective
5 implementation;
6 (4) recommend changing existing or adopting new energy storage
7 policies, interconnection rules, and strategies for growing the market and
8 economic activities in Vermont related to energy storage;
9 (5) determine whether the State should establish energy storage
10 mandates and goals, and if so, provide energy storage targets for the next five
11 years;
12 (6) assess the costs and benefits to the State’s ratepayers of adding an
13 optimal amount of energy storage to the Vermont grid over the next five years,
14 including:
15 (A) identify challenges with transmission and stranded or constrained
16 renewable energy generation in parts of the State;
17 (B) improve the ability to integrate renewable resources;
18 (C) improve reliability and power quality;
19 (D) estimate the effect on retail electric rates over the life of a given
20 energy storage system compared to the effect on retail electric rates using a VT LEG #368351 v.1
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1 non-energy storage system alternative over the life of the non-energy storage
2 system alternative;
3 (E) reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
4 (F) identify any other value related to the application of energy
5 storage system technology and compare those economic benefits to the effects
6 of leaving current policies in place; and
7 (7) examine any other issues to further the purposes of the Committee.
8 (d) Assistance. The Committee shall have the technical, administrative,
9 and legal assistance of the Office of Legislative Operations and the Office of
10 Legislative Counsel.
11 (e) Report. On or before December 15, 2023, the Committee shall submit a
12 written report to the General Assembly with its findings and any
13 recommendations for legislative action.
14 (f) Meetings.
15 (1) The Senate member, appointed by the Committee on Committees,
16 and the House member, appointed by the Speaker of the House, shall be the
17 co-chairs of the Committee.
18 (2) The Office of Legislative Counsel shall call the first meeting of the
19 Committee to occur on or before July 15, 2023.
20 (3) A majority of the membership of the Committee shall constitute a
21 quorum.
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1 (4) The Committee shall cease to exist on December 31, 2023.
2 (g) Compensation and reimbursement.
3 (1) For attendance at meetings during adjournment of the General
4 Assembly, a legislative member of the Committee serving in the legislator’s
5 capacity as a legislator shall be entitled to per diem compensation and
6 reimbursement of expenses pursuant to 2 V.S.A. § 23 for not more than six
7 meetings. These payments shall be made from monies appropriated to the
8 General Assembly.
9 (2) Other members of the Committee shall be entitled to per diem
10 compensation and reimbursement of expenses as permitted under 32 V.S.A.
11 § 1010 for not more than six meetings.
12 (h) Appropriation. The sum of $10,000.00 is appropriated from the
13 General Fund in fiscal year 2024 for per diem compensation and
14 reimbursement of expenses for members of the Committee.
15 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE
16 This act shall take effect on passage.
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