62-126.3. Definitions.

For purposes of this Article, the following definitions apply:

(1) Affiliate. - Any entity directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with an electric power supplier.

(2) Commission. - The North Carolina Utilities Commission.

(3) Community solar energy facility. - A solar energy facility whose output is shared through subscriptions.

(4) Customer generator lessee. - A lessee of a solar energy facility.

(5) Electric generator lessor. - The owner of solar energy facility that leases the facility to a customer generator lessee, including any agents who act on behalf of the electric generator lessor. For purposes of this Article, an electric generator lessor shall not be considered a public utility under G.S. 62-3(23).

(6) Electric power supplier. - A public utility, an electric membership corporation, or a municipality that sells electric power to retail electric customers in the State.

(7) Electric public utility. - A public utility as defined by G.S. 62-3(23) that sells electric power to retail electric customers in the State.

(8) Maximum annual peak demand. - The maximum single hour of electric demand actually occurring or estimated to occur at a premises.

(9) Net metering. - To use electrical metering equipment to measure the difference between the electrical energy supplied to a retail electric customer by an electric power supplier and the electrical energy supplied by the retail electric customer to the electric power supplier over the applicable billing period.

(10) Offering utility. - Any electric public utility as defined in G.S. 62-3(23) serving at least 150,000 North Carolina retail jurisdictional customers as of January 1, 2017. The term shall not include any other electric public utility, electric membership corporation, or municipal electric supplier authorized to provide retail electric service within the State. An offering utility's participation in this Article as an electric generator lessor shall not otherwise alter its status as a public utility with respect to any other provision of this Chapter. An offering utility's participation in this Article shall be regulated pursuant to the provisions of this Article.

(11) Person. - The same meaning as provided by G.S. 62-3(21).

(12) Premises. - The building, structure, farm, or facility to which electricity is being or is to be furnished. Two or more buildings, structures, farms, or facilities that are located on one tract or contiguous tracts of land and that are utilized by one electric customer for commercial, industrial, institutional, or governmental purposes shall constitute one "premises," unless the electric service to the building, structures, farms, or facilities are separately metered and charged.

(13) Property. - The tract of land on which the premises is located, together with all the adjacent contiguous tracts of land utilized by the same retail electric customer.

(14) Solar energy facility. - A electric generating facility leased to a customer generator lessee that meets the following requirements:

a. Generates electricity from a solar photovoltaic system and related equipment that uses solar energy to generate electricity.

b. Is limited to a capacity of (i) not more than the lesser of 1,000 kilowatts (kW) or one hundred percent (100%) of contract demand if a nonresidential customer or (ii) not more than 20 kilowatts (kW) or one hundred percent (100%) of estimated electrical demand if a residential customer.

c. Is located on a premises owned, operated, leased, or otherwise controlled by the customer generator lessee that is also the premises served by the solar energy facility.

d. Is interconnected and operates in parallel phase and synchronization with an offering utility authorized by the Commission to provide retail electric service to the premises and has been approved for interconnection and parallel operation by that public utility.

e. Is intended only to offset no more than one hundred percent (100%) of the customer generator lessee's own retail electrical energy consumption at the premises.

f. Meets all applicable safety, performance, interconnection, and reliability standards established by the Commission, the public utility, the National Electrical Code, the National Electrical Safety Code, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Underwriters Laboratories, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and any local governing authorities.

(15) Subscription. - A contract between a subscriber and the owner of a community solar energy facility that allows a subscriber to receive a bill credit for the electricity generated by a community solar energy facility in proportion to the electricity generated.