CHAPTER 30
RENEWABLE ENERGY PERCENTAGE VERIFICATION
199—30.1(476) General information.
	30.1(1) Scope and limitation. This chapter establishes the process by which, upon a petition from a utility, the board will verify that a specified percentage of a utility’s energy generation is renewable energy.
	30.1(2) Definitions. Except where otherwise specifically defined by law:
“M-RETS” means the Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking System.
“PJM-GATS” means the PJM Generation Attribute Tracking System.
“Prior period” means the calendar year immediately preceding the utility’s request for verification of the REP.
“RECs” means the renewable energy certificates for renewable generation in a tracking system.
“Renewable energy claim” means a claim made by a utility or a customer of a utility concerning the percentage of renewable energy used by the customer in a calendar year.
“Renewable energy percentage” or “REP” means the amount of renewable energy purchased and produced by a utility and used to serve its retail sales in a calendar year as a percentage of its overall retail sales.
“Renewable generation” means energy produced at any facility described in Iowa Code section 476.42(1)“a”(1).
“Retired RECs” means the quantity of RECs that (1) represent renewable generation in the prior period registered in accordance with tracking system rules and requirements, and (2) are retired by the utility in the tracking system in accordance with the tracking system rules and requirements, for the benefit of all of the utility’s customers prior to the calculation of the REP for such prior period. “Retired RECs” cannot include RECs that are obligated to specific entities or for purposes outside of this program. However, “retired RECs” does include RECs associated with any renewable energy mandates set forth in the Iowa Code.
“Total retail sales” means the amount of retail sales recorded by the utility in its IE-1 annual report to the board.
“Tracking system” means M-RETS, PJM-GATS or such other tracking systems as may be approved for use by the board, provided that renewable generation may be registered and retired in only one tracking system.
[ARC 3469C, IAB 11/22/17, effective 12/27/17]
199—30.2(476) Process for verification.
	30.2(1) Procedure for verification of renewable energy percentage.
	a. 	A utility may file a petition requesting that the board verify the percentage of the utility’s retail sales that were served using renewable generation during the prior period.
	b. 	Interested person(s) may file a response to the petition within 20 days from the date of the filing.
	30.2(2) Renewable energy percentage formula. The formula to be used for calculating the percentage of renewable energy used by a utility to serve retail sales in a given calendar year is:
REP = Retired RECs divided by total retail sales
	30.2(3) Required evidence. A utility requesting verification of its REP shall file the following information to support its request:
	a. 	Evidence that the utility records all of its RECs in a tracking system or has transferred RECs recorded in other tracking systems to a tracking system.
	b. 	Evidence that the MWh of qualifying renewable generation claimed to have been generated during the prior period were in fact generated by the utility’s own renewable generation facilities or purchased by the utility from a renewable facility along with the associated RECs during the prior period. Purchased RECs that are not bundled with the associated energy will not be counted as part of the REP unless the purchased RECs were used to replace otherwise eligible RECs. The purchased RECs must be purchased during the prior period, and their purchase price must be lower than the price of the sold RECs.
	c. 	Evidence that the number of RECs claimed to have been retired were in fact retired on behalf of the utility’s retail customers in the tracking system. Such evidence shall consist of a screenshot of the tracking system’s web page that shows the certificate numbers of the retired RECs, the retirement account to which the RECs were transferred and the date of retirement. The utility shall authorize the board to access the tracking system for purposes of verifying the information. Verification of the information shall not constitute personal investigation in connection with any future contested case, the specific controversy underlying that contested case, or a pending factually related contested case or controversy involving the same parties.
	d. 	An affidavit signed by a corporate officer verifying the accuracy of the REP calculation, the underlying data used in the calculation, compliance with this rule, and the evidence filed in support of it.
[ARC 3469C, IAB 11/22/17, effective 12/27/17]
199—30.3(476) Reasonableness and prudence of REC retirement.
	30.3(1) Board verification of a utility’s renewable energy percentage shall not constitute a determination that the retirement of RECs by the utility in the prior period was reasonable and prudent, nor shall it create any presumption of reasonableness and prudence.
	30.3(2) A utility seeking verification of its renewable energy percentage under this rule shall file the estimated market value of prior period retired RECs as part of its petition.
[ARC 3469C, IAB 11/22/17, effective 12/27/17]
199—30.4(476) Renewable energy claims. After the board has verified the percentage of the utility’s retail sales that were served using renewable energy generation, the board’s findings will provide sample renewable energy claims that may be used by the utility and its customers. The language will be in substantially the following form, where “x” is the verified REP:
	30.4(1) Utility: x percent of the electricity that the utility sold to retail customers during the prior period was from renewable energy generation. The utility provided its retail customers with x percent renewable energy during the prior period.
	30.4(2) Utility retail customer: x percent of the electricity used by the customer during the prior period and purchased from the utility was from renewable energy generation.
[ARC 3469C, IAB 11/22/17, effective 12/27/17]
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code chapter 476.
[Filed ARC 3469C (Notice ARC 3118C, IAB 6/21/17), IAB 11/22/17, effective 12/27/17]