Welcome to Peace Energy Renewable Energy Cooperative, the first in western Canada! Our over 560+ members share a common vision: a clean energy world filled with hope and opportunity. Since 2003 we have been shaping a better future powered by the limitless, clean renewable energies of wind and solar. Peace Energy Coop members are working together to make this a practical reality, for today and forever. We hope you’ll join us!

BC Hydro Survey – Net Metering

Thursday, September 17, 2020

During the Peace Energy Cooperative Board meeting last evening, the Directors discussed a survey that is being circulated by BC Hydro to members who are registered under the net metering program (Click here for BC Hydro Survey).

After the basic questions to identify the respondents and seek their opinions of this program, three terms are defined (see below), and the survey asks for your opinion. Please consider these carefully before providing your point of view because the Board believes that they are potential policies under consideration.

Virtual net metering
Virtual net metering refers to a system where an electric utility facilitates sharing of generation credits between different customers. There are many different types of virtual net metering. It varies from customers using generation credits across multiple sites (e.g. school district or municipality) and extends to a concept of a community energy project (credits are distributed among community members). In all cases, it’s a way for customers to participate in locally generated electricity without having to install their own generating system. In this survey, we refer to all these options as virtual net metering.

[The Board supports this concept.]

Marginal cost pricing
Our net metering program enables customers to use their generation to offset their electricity costs. Customers also receive a credit if they generate more electricity than they use.

Currently, the value of electricity generated does not depend on when the excess generation is provided, nor on the value of the electricity to BC Hydro. In addition, customers that generate their own electricity are not fully paying for their share of the infrastructure costs of maintaining the grid (e.g., transmission and distribution wires, provision of on-demand energy, etc.).

As the net metering program grows, customers who are not participants of net metering would pay more to contribute to the costs of maintaining the grid. Under a marginal cost pricing scheme, customers on net metering would be able to buy and sell energy at its marginal, market or real-time cost, while paying a system access charge to cover the fixed costs associated with receiving electricity service from BC Hydro.

[The Board is apprehensive about BC Hydro initiating marginal cost pricing.]

Treatment of hydroelectric generation
Most customers in BC Hydro’s net metering program use solar panels to generate electricity. A small number of customers participating in the net metering program use a hydroelectric generator. Relative to solar net metering customers, net metering customers with hydroelectric generators produce electricity in larger volumes, often exceeding their needs. In addition, the time of day and year that the electricity is generated is different for net metering customers with hydroelectric generation than it is for customers with solar generation. The difference in the amount and timing of excess generation impacts the value of the generation to an electric utility. Developing terms and conditions that vary based on the generation type could help ensure that the cost of the net metering program aligns with the value it provides to the utility.

[The Board agrees that separating solar net metering customers from hydroelectric generation is an appropriate distinction.]

We encourage everyone to participate in the survey before it closes on September 25, 2020.
Click here for BC Hydro survey!

Thank you!

** AGM – IMPORTANT NOTICE **

It’s official; the Annual General Meeting will take place in your home on September 26, 2020, at 10 am (Pacific Time). This ‘virtual’ event will require members to pre-register for the Zoom meeting. Please watch for the registration link along with the agenda-package to arrive by email on September 15, 2020.

If you have not received any correspondence from PEC lately, this would be the time to update your contact information. Please call (250) 782.3882 or email admin@peaceenergy.ca regarding your membership.

Keep checking back for further information!

Peace Energy Cooperative Offices: COVID-19 

Our Dawson Creek and Peace River offices are still following COVID-19 protocol. We are taking steps to prevent the spread, so we encourage our visitors to continue practicing social distancing, hand washing or use of hand sanitizer. Please do not access our facilities if you are exhibiting any flu-like symptoms, or have travelled within the last two weeks.

For further information or to make an office appointment, please click on “Contact” in the above main menu or call our office. 

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