The City of Ava does have a net metering policy. What is net metering? It is a system in which solar panels or other renewable energy generators are connected to a public-utility power grid and surplus power is transferred onto the grid, allowing customers to offset the cost of power drawn from the utility.

Missouri state law requires municipal electric providers and rural electric cooperatives to have policies establishing contracts for interconnection and net metering. The Department of Natural Resources has a fact sheet about net metering at http://dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub2238.pdf . You can also get information about net metering and Ava’s net metering policy at City Utilities.

Below is the City’s ordinance regarding net metering:

Sec. 98-343. – Net metering policy and interconnection procedures.

Definitions of terms used in this section shall be those in RSMo 386.890.2. To the extent required of retail electric suppliers by RSMo 386.890.3, a customer of the city electric utility may install and operate electric generation facilities, compatible with the electric utility, which are qualified as a net metering unit. A processing fee and the rate to be credited to the customer-generator for the net value of the electric energy delivered to the utility (avoided fuel cost) will be determined by the board of aldermen. A customer-generator’s system shall be equipped with sufficient metering equipment that can measure the net amount of electrical energy produced or consumed by the customer-generator. Electrical measurement shall be calculated in accordance with RSMo 386.890.5. Each qualified net metering unit used by a customer-generator shall meet all applicable safety, performance, synchronization, interconnection and reliability standards established by the Missouri Public Service Commission, the National Electrical Safety Code, National Electrical Code, the Institute of Electrical, Electronics Engineers, and Underwriters Laboratories. Customer-generator systems greater than ten kilowatts shall carry no less than $100,000.00 of liability insurance that provides for coverage of all risk of liability for personal injuries (including death) and damage to property arising out of or caused by the operation of the net metering unit. Each customer-generator shall, at least annually, conduct a test to confirm that the net metering unit automatically ceases to energize the output (interconnection equipment output voltage goes to zero within two seconds of being disconnected from the electric utility’s system). The customer-generator shall maintain a record of the results of these tests and, upon request, shall provide a copy of the test results to the electric utility. No consumer shall connect or operate an electric generation unit in parallel phase and synchronization with any electric utility without written approval by said electric utility. Customer-generators with systems ten kilowatts or less shall submit an application of net metering and an application for interconnection and shall be approved or denied within 30 days of receipt. Customer-generators with systems greater than ten kilowatts but not more than 100 kilowatts shall submit an interconnection application/agreement for net metering systems with capacity on 100 kilowatts or less and shall be approved or denied within 90 days of receipt. (Ord. No. 934, 3-27-12)