Vermont H 710: An act relating to exempting certain forms of income from the calculation of household income for veterans who are permanently and totally disabled

Bill Text

BILLAS PASSED BY THE HOUSE AND SENATE H.710
2026 Page 1 of 16
H.710
Introduced by Representatives Campbell of St. Johnsbury and James of
Manchester
Referred to Committee on
Date:
Subject: Public service; utility companies; renewable energy programs;
definitions; plant
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to amend the
definition of “plant” to clarify when the Public Utility Commission would
consider multiple energy-generating facilities to be a single facility. This bill
would consider a plant with multiple energy-generating facilities to be a single
facility if the facilities use the same electricity-generating technology and if
the facilities are on the same parcel or contiguous parcels of land, unless an
exception applies.
An act relating to defining electricity generating facilities
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
Sec. 1. 30 V.S.A. § 8002 is amended to read:
§ 8002. DEFINITIONS
As used in this chapter:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19

BILLAS PASSED BY THE HOUSE AND SENATE H.710
2026 Page 2 of 16
* * *
(18) “Plant” means an independent technical facility that generates
electricity from renewable energy. A group of facilities, such as wind turbines,
shall be considered one plant if the group is part of the same project and uses
common equipment and infrastructure such as roads, control facilities, and
connections to the electric grid. Common ownership, contiguity in time of
construction, and proximity of facilities to each other shall be relevant to
determining whether a group of facilities is part of the same project. Multiple
electricity-generating facilities, regardless of when each is constructed, shall be
considered one plant if the facilities use the same electricity-generating
technology and are located on the same parcel or contiguous parcels of land.
Such facilities shall only be considered separate plants if they meet one of the
following exceptions:
(A) Exception for individual net-metering and self-consumption.
Applies if the facilities:
(i) are not located on the same parcel of land;
(ii) are wired to offset consumption on separate billing meters;
and
(iii) supply different retail customers.
(B) Exception for multi-owner individual net-metering on the same
parcel. Applies if the facilities:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

BILLAS PASSED BY THE HOUSE AND SENATE H.710
2026 Page 3 of 16
(i) are located on the same parcel of land where a common
interest community is located;
(ii) are wired to offset consumption on separate billing meters;
and
(iii) supply different retail customers.
(C) Exception for colocation of renewable energy program facilities.
More than one facility may be located on the same parcel or contiguous
parcels with net-metering, Standard Offer Program facilities, or other
Renewable Energy Standard Tier II facilities when:
(i) the facilities have separate points of interconnection; and
(ii) not more than the statutory capacity cap for net-metering or
the statutory capacity cap for the Standard Offer Program is sited on the same
parcel or contiguous parcels and a net-metering facility and a Standard Offer
facility are not sited on the same parcel or contiguous parcels.
* * *
(33) “Common interest community” means real estate described in a
declaration with respect to which a person, by virtue of the person’s ownership
of a unit, is obligated to pay for a share of real estate taxes on, insurance
premiums, maintenance, or improvement of, or services or other expenses
related to common elements, other units, or other real estate than that unit
described in the declaration.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

BILLAS PASSED BY THE HOUSE AND SENATE H.710
2026 Page 4 of 16
(34) “Contiguous” means sharing a property boundary with another
parcel of land or being adjacent to that parcel of land and the two parcels are
separated only by a road, recreation path, railway line, stream, or river.
(35) “Electricity-generating technology” means a method or system
used to convert energy from one form into electric power, including wind,
hydropower or water, solar, or biomass.
(36) “Point of interconnection” means the point on the interconnecting
utility’s existing distribution system to which a facility proposes to
interconnect.
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.
Sec. 1. 30 V.S.A. § 8002 is amended to read:
§ 8002. DEFINITIONS
As used in this chapter:
* * *
(18) “Plant” means an independent technical facility that generates
electricity from renewable energy. A group of facilities, such as wind turbines,
shall be considered one plant if the group is part of the same project and uses
common equipment and infrastructure such as roads, control facilities, and
connections to the electric grid. Common ownership, contiguity in time of
construction, and proximity of facilities to each other shall be relevant to
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

BILLAS PASSED BY THE