An act relating to electric generation facility fees
H.561 would increase the fees charged by the Department of Public Service and the Public Utility Commission for certain electric generation facility filings under 30 V.S.A. § 248c. The bill raises the filing fee for small electric generation facilities, rooftop projects, hydroelectric net metering registrations, certain subsection 248(n) applications, and qualifying small energy storage facilities from $100 to $200. It also raises the fee for modifications for those same projects from $25 to $200.
For larger facilities and energy storage projects that require a certificate of public good under section 248 but do not qualify for the lower-fee categories, the bill increases the per-kilowatt fee from $5 to $8 and the modification fee from $100 to $400. The bill is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.
The bill would amend Vermont’s fee schedule in 30 V.S.A. § 248c, directly affecting applicants for electric generation and energy storage projects that must go through state siting and certification review. The practical effect would be higher upfront and modification costs for developers, including owners of rooftop solar, small generation projects, hydroelectric net metering projects, and certain behind-the-meter energy storage installations, as well as larger projects subject to certificate of public good review. State agencies that process these applications would receive increased fee revenue, while project sponsors would face higher administrative costs.
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented debate or formal vote history to indicate support or opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a straightforward fee increase proposal focused on updating application and modification charges rather than changing substantive siting standards. The absence of recorded discussion makes the overall sentiment difficult to assess beyond the bill’s technical and fiscal nature.
The likely points of contention are the size and scope of the fee increases and their effect on distributed energy and storage development. Supporters would likely view the changes as a way to better align fees with administrative costs and recover more of the expense of reviewing applications, while opponents may argue that doubling or substantially increasing fees could discourage rooftop solar, small-scale generation, hydroelectric net metering, and energy storage projects. The most sensitive provisions are the sharp increase in modification fees and the higher per-kilowatt charge for larger projects, which could be seen as adding cost to clean energy deployment.