After carefully reviewing the public comments that were received, the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) is pleased to publish the Guideline that establishes a rolling 10 year Alternative Compliance Payment (ACP) Rate Schedule for the RPS Solar Carve-out. The schedule maintains the ACP Rate at its current level through Compliance Year 2013, and then reduces the Rate at 5% per year. The ACP Rate Schedule was established with consideration of price levels necessary to maintain robust solar development, while protecting ratepayers from unnecessary cost impacts.

DOER recognizes the importance to project developers and project financers, along with retail electric suppliers with compliance obligations, of having greater certainty about the ACP Rate further into the future. DOER expects this newly provided certainty will enhance parties’ abilities to project SREC revenue streams and facilitate project financing and negotiations for long-term contracts for SRECs.

Process for Implementing Solar ACP Rate Schedule

DOER will shortly commence rulemaking with limited scope to revise 225 CMR 14.00 to integrate the Solar ACP Rate Schedule into the Solar Carve-Out provisions as substitute for the current section 225 CMR 14.08(3)(b)2 that provides DOER the discretion to reduce the Rate annually.

10-year Forward Schedule
Alternative Compliance Payment (ACP) Rate
MA Solar Carve-Out
RPS Program 225 CMR 14.00