Guiding Renewable Interconnection and Distribution (GRID) Amendment Act of 2026

February 24, 2025

Nyasha Howard
Secretary to the Council
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004

Secretary Howard:

Today, along with Councilmembers Frumin, Lewis George, Nadeau, Parker, Pinto, and Robert White, I
am introducing the “Guiding Renewable Interconnection and Distribution (GRID) Amendment Act of
2026.” Please find enclosed a signed copy of the legislation.

Utility costs have a severe impact on District residents , and a fast switch to clean energy is one of the
most direct ways to protect residents from erratic power markets and spiking grid upgrade costs. From
2000 to 2019, the average District resident’s electricity bill increased by over 75% —from
approximately $55 to $98. 1 Now , for one-quarter of low -income households in the DC Metropolitan
Area, energy expenses account for nearly 16% of their income. 2 This is more than four times higher
than the median energy burden for other customers. 3 Higher utility rates can exacerbate existing
financial burdens for residents, many of whom are already struggling to keep pace with rising costs in
the District.

A recent study from the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) found that recent changes in federal
investments and repeal of tax credits would raise the average U.S. residential electricity prices by
nearly 7% by 2026 – which is around $110 for the average customer. 4 And DC is currently faced with

1 Ariel Drehoble et al., An Examination of District Residents’ Experiences with Utility Burdens and Affordability
Programs, at 5, AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR AN ENERGY EFFICIENT ECONOMY, https://doee.dc.gov/sites/default/files/
dc/sites/ddoe/service_content/attachments/Report_An%20Examination%20of%20District%20Residents%E
2%80%99%20Experiences%20with%20Utility%20Burdens%20and%20Affordability%20Programs.pdf .
2 Roxana Ayala & Amanda Dewey , Data Update: City Energy Burdens , at 3 –4, AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR AN ENERGY
EFFICIENT ECONOMY, https://www.aceee.org/policy-brief/2024/09/data -update-city-energy -burdens
3 Id. at 4.
4 Electricity Price Impacts of Technology -Neutral Tax Incentives With Incremental Electricity Demand from
Data Centers, NERA Economic Consulting (NERA) on behalf of Clean Buyers Energy Association (CEBA)

spiking power prices from data centers and other demands on the grid—as well as the long term trend
of utilities spending more on delivering electricity.5 One of the best strategies for reducing DC’s power
needs while directly lowering costs is allowing residents. More than half of costs for residential solar
projects are linked to soft costs rather than the actual solar equipment and construction materials .6
By standardizing approval processes a nd reducing costs for connecting to the grid, more solar can be
installed in DC.

To ensure that all the District is on the right path for reducing utility bills and speeding up home -
grown clean energy, this bill would:

1. Affirm, update, and enshrine Public Service Commission regulations into law to strengthen
enforcement of existing standards. The PSC has some standards in place, but they are not
effective enough to reduce timelines and costs for solar customers . The bill also requires a
regularly updated guide to costs and processes be available on Pepco’s website. Finally, it
requires the Commission to update solar processes in line with nationwide solar permitting
policies on a regular cycle.
2. Create an ombuds within the Public Service Commission , in coordination with the Office of
the People’s Counsel and the Department of Energy and the Environment, to guide
customers through the interconnection process and troubleshoot sticking points causing
delays and inflated costs.
3. Allow residents to buy and plug in their own "balcony solar” systems straight into their home
electric system. Homeowners or renters would be allowed to install plug -in panel systems
without going through the same approval process as rooftop solar. From just a single panel to
larger back yard arrays, residents can get $35 -55 in savings per month depending on where
you live.7

Sincerely,

Councilmember Charles Allen, Ward 6
Chairperson, Committee on Transportation & the Environment

(February 10, 2025 ), https://cebuyers.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CEBA_Electricity -P rice-Impacts-of-
Technology-Neutral-Tax-Incentives -With-Incremental -Electricity -Demand -From-Data-Centers_February -
2025.pdf
5 Grid Infrastructure Investments Drive increase In Utility Spending Over Last Two Decades, U.S. Energy
Information Administration, https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=63724
6 US Solar Market Insight Executive summary , Wood Mackenzie and Solar Energy Industries Association
(December 1, 2025) , https://go.woodmac.com/l/131501/2025 -12-
03/35531k/131501/1764798867gDnZdTaM/USSMI_Q4_2025_ES.pdf
7 Plug-In Solar Panels for Homes , Brightsaver,
https://www.brightsaver.org/? srsltid=AfmBO ormrgjTDqXv1Eb6XeCQvo3VT6NY -
Omm1CyQbUsvQhRii670OebL

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A BILL21
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N THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 26
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T
o amend the Clean and Affordable Energy Amendment Act of 2008 to guide existing processes 31
for District residents and solar developers on connect ing their solar systems to the grid, 32
minimum standards for cost transparency, permitting timelines, and accountability for 33
small generation facilities less than or equal to 20 megawatts, not subject to PJM 34
interconnection requirements, for generating facilities that are designed to operate in 35
parallel with the electric distribution system in the District, and instructs the grid manager 36
to comply with reasonable, uniform, and efficient standards, fees and processes for the 37
interconnection of solar in the District of Columbia. 38
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B
E IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 40
act may be cited as the “Guiding Renewable Interconnection and Distribution (GRID) Amendment 41
Act of 2026”. 42

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Sec. 2. The Clean and Affordable Energy Amendment Act of 2008, effective October 22, 43
2008, (D.C. Law 17-250; D.C. Official Code § 8–1773.01 et seq.), is amended as follows: 44
(a) Section 101 (D.C. Official Code § 8–1773.01) is amended as follows: 45
(1) Paragraph (1) is redesignated as paragraph (1A) 46
(2) A new paragraph (1) is added to read as follows: 47
“(1) “Interconnection Customer” means any individual, entity, or their 48
representative who applies to connect a solar system to a District electric grid managed by an 49
electric company.”. 50
(3) Paragraph (2) is redesignated as paragraph (2A) 51
(4) A new paragraph (2) is added to read as follows: 52
“(2) “Grid” means the electric distribution system that provides power and allows 53
small generators including commercial and community solar customers in the District to 54
interconnect.”. 55
(5) Paragraph (3) is redesignated as paragraph (3A) 56
(6) A new paragraph (3) is added to read as follows: 57
“(3) “Small Generator Facility ” means the equipment used by a customer to 58
generate or store electricity that operates in tandem with the grid, and usually includes an electric 59
generator, storage capability, and interconnection equipment.”. 60
(7) Paragraph (4) is redesignated as paragraph (4A) 61
(8) A new paragraph (4) is added to read as follows: 62
“(4) “Interconnection Request” means the initial submission by an applicant or their 63
representative to an Electric Company that begins review of whether a solar system may be 64
connected safely and reliably to the grid.”. 65
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(9) Paragraph (5) is redesignated as paragraph (5A) 66
(10) A new paragraph (5) is added to read as follows: 67
“(5) “Net energy metering” means measuring the difference between the electricity 68
supplied to an eligible customer-generator from the electric grid and the electricity generated and 69
fed back to the electric grid by the eligible customer-generator.”. 70
(11) Paragraph (6) is redesignated as paragraph (6A) 71
(12) A new paragraph (6) is added to read as follows: 72
“(6) “Solar system” means a system using radiant energy, direct, diffuse, or 73
reflected, received from the sun at wavelengths suitable for conversion into thermal, chemical, or 74
electrical energy, that is collected, generated, or stored for use at a later time.” 75
(13) Paragraph (7) is redesignated as paragraph (7A) 76
(14) A new paragraph (7) is added to read as follows: 77
“(7) “Primary voltage customer” means customers receiving power from a higher 78
voltage level of 4kV, 13kV, 27kV, and 33kV.”. 79
(15) Paragraph (8) is redesignated as paragraph (8A) 80
(16) A new paragraph (8) is added to read as follows: 81
“(8) “Secondary voltage customer” means a customers receiving power directly 82
from the grid distribution system at lower voltage levels of 120/208V; 120/240V or 265/460V.” 83
(17) Paragraph (9) is redesignated as paragraph (9A) 84
(18) A new paragraph (9) is added to read as follows: 85
“(9) “Electric company” means an electric utility entity that 86
distributes electricity to customers and is subject to the jurisdiction of the Public Service 87
Commission.”. 88
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(b) A new section 206a to read as follows: 89
“Sec 206a . Solar interconnection standards ; solar permitting and cost transparency for 90
small solar projects and electricity ratepayers. 91
“(a) As part of the ir initial application for authorization to install their solar system, any 92
Interconnection Customer that seeks to connect a distributed energy resource to the grid shall 93
submit an Interconnection Request to the Electric Company. 94
“(b)(1) Upon receipt of the initial Interconnection Request from a n Interconnection 95
Customer or their representative, any Electric Company shall conduct an internal review prior to 96
formal authorization to proceed to installing solar onsite to determine: 97
“(A) The technical feasibility of the proposed solar project; 98
“(B) Whether any upgrades to the grid are required to facilitate the specific 99
interconnection for which an Interconnection Request has been submitted; and 100
“(C) An estimated cost for interconnection, based on the median costs 101
published on the Electric Company’s website in accordance with the requirements of 102
section (d)(2) below. 103
“(2)(A) For all projects going through initial interconnection review, the Electric 104
Company shall comply with all requirements of 15 DCMR § 4007 et seq. 105
“(B) The Electric Company shall meet the following deadlines and 106
requirements outlined in this section. 107
“(C) Where any conflicts arise between existing solar interconnection 108
requirements under 15 DCMR § 4007 et seq, this section shall control.” 109
(3)(A) Following its internal review, the Electric Company shall notify a Customer 110
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of its initial decision on Part 1 of the initial interconnection request in writing or by electronic mail 111
pursuant, within the timeline provided by 15 DCMR § 4004.3. 112
“(B) When completing the internal review for any Customer ’s initial 113
Interconnection Request, if the Electric Company determined that the Interconnection Request is 114
incomplete or transferred to a different project level , the Electric Company shall notify the 115
Customer of its determination and provide the Interconnection Customer with an opportunity to 116
resubmit their application. 117
“(3)(A) For assessing any modifications to the proposed interconnection 118
equipment after the initial review , the Electric Company shall provide notice to the 119
Interconnection Customer of its updated cost estimate and construction schedule no later 120
than fifteen days after notice of the initial interconnection review results. 121
“(B) If additional analysis of system upgrades is needed , the Electric 122
Company shall notify the Interconnection Customer that a wider study of the interconnection 123
infrastructure and potential impacts to the grid will need to be completed within twenty-five days. 124
“(C) The Electric Company shall provide a Interconnection Customer with 125
a facilities study no later than twenty-five from providing notice to the Interconnection Customer 126
as described in paragraph (3)(A) of this subsection . 127
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“(5)(A) An Electric Company shall issue a report to the Commission at least 129
annually assessing whether interconnection review timelines comply with the requirements of 15 130
DCMR § 4000 et seq., and adhere to all corrective action plans and reporting requirements. 131
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“(B) The report shall include compliance with 15 DCMR § 4004.7 requiring 132
that the company issue at least ninety percent of final permits within twenty days of receiving a 133
completed application. 134
“(6) For any project that the EDC determines it approves with conditions such as 135
construction or installation of interconnection facilities or distribution system upgrades, or 136
operating requirements, the Electric Distribution Company shall send an executed interconnection 137
agreement to the customer or their representative that includes: 138
“(A) Any operating requirements; and 139
“(B) A cost estimate for interconnection, based on the most recent 140
guidance published as described in paragraph (3). 141
“(7) For any project that was denied approval, an Electric Distribution Company 142
shall provide a reason for the denial indicating which screens the proposed project failed, including 143
the days and times per year that the EDC screening tools showed the proposed system failed the 144
screen. 145
“(8) An Electric Company shall comply with 15 DCMR § 4009 et seq. governing 146
complaint procedures on resolving disputes promptly, equitably, and in a good faith manner . The 147
company shall also ensure that: 148
“(A) Estimated costs during dispute resolution do not exceed the most 149
recent public guidance by the company. 150
“(B) A legal representative for the company must be present and able to 151
participate in final dispute resolution. 152
“(C) The E lectric Company shall not assess Interconnection Customers 153
for costs that are more than 15 percent above the initial cost estimate provided pursuant to 15 154
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DCMR § 4005.6. The Electric Company shall be responsible for costs invoiced to the 155
interconnection customer more than 60 days after the completion of the interconnection facility or 156
distribution upgrades. 157
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“(c)(1) The Commission, in consultation with the Department of Energy and Environment and the 159
Office of the People’s Counsel , shall regularly update and ensure that the Electric Company 160
adheres to all existing requirements of the District of Columbia Small Generator Interconnection 161
Rules established pursuant to D.C. Official Code §§ 2-505 and 34-802. 162
“(d)(1) The Commission, in consultation with the Department of Energy and Environment 163
and the Office of the People’s Counsel, shall establish an interconnection ombuds office. The 164
ombuds will possess technical expertise related to interconnection and interconnection procedures. 165
The duties of the interconnection ombuds include but are not limited to the requirements of 166
paragraph: 167
“(A) Tracking interconnection complaints and disputes; 168
“(B) Facilitating the efficient and fair resolution of disputes between 169
customers seeking to interconnect and investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities; 170
“(C) Reviewing investor -owned transmission and distribution utility 171
interconnection policies to assess opportunities for reducing interconnection disputes and reducing 172
interconnection costs; 173
“(D) Preparing reports that detail the number, type, resolution timeline and 174
outcome of interconnection complaints and disputes. 175
“(2) Any Electric Company shall: 176
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“(A) Publish and maintain a time-stamped guide to interconnection for 177
small generators interconnection on its website that describes the process for interconnection and 178
provides median costs for equipment, labor, and other expenses that are included in its cost 179
estimates for interconnection facilities and distribution system upgrades, based on average costs 180
for the last two years; 181
“(B) Bill interconnection customers only for necessary modifications to the 182
distribution system, and provide an itemized list of major costs, broken down by, at a minimum, 183
itemized equipment and labor, overhead, taxes, and contingency to the customer. 184
“(C) Comply with any changes to the Chapter 40 Public Service 185
Commission “Approval to Install” definition that include approval of high-level schematics, public 186
equipment specifications, and naming the feeder that the Electric Company approves 187
interconnection, when relevant. 188
“(D) Issue “Authorization to Interconnect ” responses within fifteen 189
business days of notification of screening results. 190
“(E) Transmit invoices for cost estimates within 10 business days after 191
receipt of notification by the interconnection customer that it accepts the cost estimate; 192
“(F) Finalize construction and installation of necessary Interconnection 193
Facilities, Distribution System Upgrades, or other equipment the Electric Company needs to 194
provide or install no later than three (3) months after a temporary-pending-final or final inspection 195
certificate from a District electric code official is submitted to the company by the interconnection 196
customer. If the Electric Company cannot meet the deadline, it shall notify the Commission, which 197
may approve an extension not to exceed three months, unless additional actions and a reasonable 198
interconnection timeline are provided. 199
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“(G) Issue Authorization to Operate for all systems within twenty (20) 200
business days of receiving a completed Part II - Small Generator Facility Interconnection 201
Certificate of Completion Form, including the signed inspection certificate. 202
“(3) On or before February 1 of each year, the Electric Company shall submit to 203
the Commission a report on each recorded voted cast by the Electric Company or an affiliate of 204
the Electric Company at a meeting of the regional transmission organization during the 205
immediately preceding calendar year. The report shall include all recorded votes cast by the 206
Electric Company. 207
“(4)(A) Within one year of the effective date of this act, the Electric Company shall 208
submit a service tariff to the Public Service Commission for approval for a cost sharing and 209
allocation methodology for solar interconnection customers in accordance with the requirements 210
of this paragraph. 211
“(B) Under the cost sharing and allocation methodology, an electric utility 212
may propose a grid capacity upgrade project to the interconnection customer or customers. 213
“(C) The utility shall charge primary, high voltage interconnection 214
customers a hosting capacity fee for its share of the hosting capacity upgrade cost proportional to 215
the interconnection customer's utilization of hosting capacity. 216
“(i) An Electric Company may petition the Commission to 217
implement a grid capacity cost sharing and allocation methodology for solar interconnection 218
customers that is not locationally based in their tariff filing. 219
“(ii) An Interconnection Request shall be eligible for hosting 220
capacity cost sharing and allocation under this section unless they are exempted for the following 221
reasons: 222
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“(I) The Interconnection Request is subject to the 223
PJM Interconnection, LLC Tariff. 224
“(II) The interconnection is on a dedicated primary 225
voltage feeder that may not benefit any other interconnection customer 226
“(III) If more than one Interconnection Request 227
exists in the interconnection queue that will benefit from the electric utility proposed hosting 228
capacity upgrade project, these interconnection customers shall be clustered together for the 229
purpose of calculating hosting capacity fees.” 230
“(ii) Hosting capacity fees for clustered interconnection customers 231
shall be calculated proportional to each interconnection customer's utilization of the hosting 232
capacity created by the hosting capacity upgrade project. 233
“(iv) All hosting capacity upgrade costs in excess of hosting 234
capacity fees collected shall be accumulated in a separate unallocated cost account for future 235
expenditures on to primary voltage interconnection. 236
“(v) Unallocated hosting capacity upgrade costs for primary 237
voltage Interconnection Customers shall be shared and allocated to other primary voltage 238
customers using a primary voltage hosting capacity cost sharing and allocation methodology in an 239
electric utility service tariff approved by the Commission. 240
“(F) The utility shall charge secondary, lower voltage interconnection 241
residential and commercial customer a hosting capacity fee for its share of the hosting capacity 242
upgrade cost proportional to the Interconnection Customer's utilization of hosting capacity. 243
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(i) If sufficient hosting capacity is not available at a point of 244
interconnection for a secondary voltage Interconnection Customer, an electric utility may construct 245
a hosting capacity upgrade project for the Interconnection Customer or Customers. 246
(ii) All secondary voltage hosting capacity upgrade costs shall be 247
accumulated in separate unallocated accounts for both residential and commercial secondary 248
voltage Interconnection Customers for future allocation in hosting capacity fees. 249
(iii) Unallocated hosting capacity upgrade costs for both residential 250
and commercial secondary voltage Interconnection Customers shall be shared and allocated to 251
other secondary voltage I nterconnection Customers using a hosting capacity cost sharing and 252
allocation fee in an electric utility service tariff approved by the Commission. 253
“(G) Hosting capacity fees for primary voltage Interconnection Customers 254
shall be reset using a cost sharing and allocation methodology approved by the Commission in an 255
electric utility service tariff filing whenever a change in methodology is proposed, unless the fee 256
is zero or the fee change is less than $1 per kilowatt. 257
“(H) Hosting capacity fees for secondary voltage Interconnection 258
Customers shall be reset annually using a cost sharing and allocation methodology approved by 259
the Commission unless the fee is zero or the fee change is less than $1 per kilowatt from the current 260
fee in the electric utility's service tariff. 261
“(I) A utility may submit for Commission approval an administrative charge 262
in its service tariff to recover its administrative costs for managing the cost sharing and allocation 263
methodology for primary and secondary voltage Interconnection Customers. 264
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“(J) A utility shall describe all hosting capacity upgrade project rightsizing 265
projects describing their forecasts, inputs, and assumptions in their next rate case to assist relevant 266
groups in a prudency review. 267
“(K) The cost -sharing framework and relevant interconnection 268
requirements shall be regularly updated and approved by the Public Service Commission, in 269
consultation with the Department of Energy and Environment and the Office of the People’s 270
Counsel. 271
“(e)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a portable solar generation device shall 272
not be subject to interconnection or net metering requirements unless the owner of a portable solar 273
generation device choose s to voluntarily enter into an interconnection or net metering 274
agreement”.” 275
“(2) The Electric Company may not require a customer using a portable solar generation 276
device to: 277
“(I) Obtain approval before installing or using the system; 278
“(II) Pay any fee or charge related to the system; or 279
“(III) Install any additional controls or equipment beyond what is integrated into 280
the system. 281
“(3) The Electric Company is not liable for any damage or injury caused by a portable solar 282
generation device. 283
“(4)(A) In order to ensure safe operation and reduce impacts on the grid, portable solar 284
generation devices must: 285
“(B) Meet the most recent version of the National Electrical Code and be certified 286
by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory; 287
“(C) Include a device or feature that prevents the system from energizing the 288
building's electrical system during a power outage”.” 289
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Sec. 3 The Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Act of 2004, effective April 12, 2005 290
(D.C. Law 15-340; D.C. Official Code § 34-1431 et seq.), is amended as follows. 291
(a) Section 3(15)(H) (D.C. Official Code § 34- 1431(15)(H)) is amended by striking the 292
phrase “Raw or treated wastewater” and inserting the phrase “Raw wastewater, treated wastewater, 293
or air” in its place. 294
(b) Section 4 (D.C. Official Code § 34-1432) is amended as follows 295
(1) Subsection (e) is amended by adding new paragraphs (4), (5), and (6) to read as 296
follows: 297
“(4) Six months after the effective date of the Guiding Renewable Interconnection 298
and Distribution (GRID) Amendment Act of 2025, a system or facility using geothermal energy 299
located outside of the District of Columbia shall not be eligible to generate renewable energy 300
credits. 301
“(5) New certifications for Tier 1 renewable energy systems utilizing air as energy 302
sources as defined in Section 15(3)(H) of this act must: 303
“(A) Be put into first operation after October 1, 2025; 304
“(B) Be located in the District of Columbia; and 305
“(C) Replace existing equipment that provides thermal energy to buildings 306
via on-site combustion of fuels. 307
“(6)(A) A renewable energy system using energy sources defined in section 308
3(15)(H) whose output capacity is smaller than 134,000 British thermal energy units per hour shall 309
be assigned all renewable energy credits at the time of registration of the system upfront. 310
“(B) A lifetime total of nine renewable energy credits shall be assigned for 311
every 1,000 British thermal units of rated thermal energy capacity of such a system. 312
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“(C) No further renewable energy credits shall accrue for such a system 313
after the upfront assignment of lifetime credits”.” 314
Sec. 5. Fiscal impact statement. 315
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact 316
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 317
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 318
Sec. 6. Effective date. 319
This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 320
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30- day period of congressional review as 321
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 322
1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1- 206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 323
Columbia Register. 324
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