TITLE 4: ECONOMIC RESOURCES
§ 8112
DIVISION 8: UTILITIES
§ 8112. Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following terms shall, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, have the following meanings: (a) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation; (b) “Commonwealth” means the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; (c) “Commission,” or “PUC,” means the Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission; (d) “Corporation,” or “CUC,” means the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation; (e) “Health and education renewable energy capacity” means a renewable capacity that is located on the premises of a public health or education entity, including public libraries; operated in parallel with the utility’s transmission and distribution facilities; in conformance with the utility's interconnection requirements; and intended primarily to offset part or all of the electrical requirements of the health and education government agencies; (f) “Immediate family member” means a spouse, parent, child, sibling, parentin-law, sibling-in-law, child-in-law, or household member; (g) “Net metering” means measuring the difference between the electricity supplied through the electrical grid and the electricity generated by an eligible entity and fed back to the electric grid over a monthly billing period; provided that net energy metering shall be accomplished using one or more meters capable of registering the flow of electricity in two directions and any additional metering shall be used only to provide the information necessary to accurately bill or credit the public health or education entity; (h) “Utility service” means the delivery of electrical, water, and sewer services in the Commonwealth. Source: PL 4-47, § 1 (§ 8112); amended by PL 6-30, § 14; subsection (b) amended by PL 12-39, § 1(a); amended by EO No. 2006-04, § 4 (8112); repealed and reenacted by PL 16-17 § 10(8112); (e) and (g) added and remaining subsections redesignated by PL 18-75 § 2 (Feb. 13, 2015), modified; subsections (e) and (g) amended by PL 23-02, § 2 (April 10, 2023). Commission Comment: The Commission corrected periods at the ends of subsections (e) and (g) to semicolons pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(g). PL 18-75 (effective Feb. 13, 2015) contained, in addition to savings and severability clauses, the following sections: Section 1. Findings and Purpose. The Commonwealth Legislature finds that the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) and the Public School System (PSS) continue to struggle to pay its very exorbi-
§ 8112
TITLE 4: ECONOMIC RESOURCES
DIVISION 8: UTILITIES tant utility bills each month. At the same time, the Legislature finds that the Commonwealth government cannot afford to fully subsidize CHCC and the PSS in order to satisfy their monthly utility bills. The Legislature finds that the only way to reduce utility costs is to utilize renewable energy sources to offset the electricity or other utility required for the operations of CHCC and PSS. Accordingly, the purpose of the legislation is to provide a definition for net metering and to prioritize the interconnection with net metering for health and education renewable energy capacity at CUC. Any reasonable direct expense to CUC for reviewing and interconnecting the PV or wind power renewable energy capacity shall be the responsibility of CHCC and PSS. There will be no cost to CUC to prioritize the interconnection of the renewable energy. Over time, CHCC and PSS will save millions of dollars in utility costs and utilize the money saved for other essential needs of the public health and education entities. Section 4. Timeline. (a) CUC shall adopt any rules and procedures necessary to implement the net metering priority for the public health or education entities within 45 days after this Act becomes law. (b) The net metering agreement between CUC and the requesting public health or education entity, and the full implementation of the net metering request, shall be completed and operational no later than one year after this Act becomes law. Section 5. Notwithstanding any laws or regulations to the contrary, the implementation of this Act shall not require the review or approval of the Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission. In codifying PL 23-02, subsection (g) provides no amendment to the statute.