Rhode Island General Laws Title 39. Public Utilities and Carriers § 39-26.1-4. Financial remuneration and incentives

In order to achieve the purposes of this chapter, electric distribution companies shall be entitled to financial remuneration and incentives for long-term contracts for newly developed renewable energy resources, which are over and above the base rate revenue requirement established in its cost of service for distribution ratemaking. Such remuneration and incentives shall compensate the electric distribution company for accepting the financial obligation of the long-term contracts. The financial remuneration and incentives described in this section shall apply only to long-term contracts for newly developed renewable energy resources. For long-term contracts approved pursuant to this chapter before January 1, 2022, the financial remuneration and incentives shall be in the form of annual compensation, equal to two and three quarters percent (2.75%) of the actual annual payments made under the contracts for those projects that are commercially operating, unless determined otherwise by the commission at the time of approval. For long-term contracts approved pursuant to this chapter on or after January 1, 2022, including contracts above the minimum long-term contract capacity, the financial remuneration and incentives shall be in the form of annual compensation up to one percent (1.0%) of the actual annual payments made under the contracts through December 31, 2026, for those projects that are commercially operating. For all long-term contracts approved pursuant to this chapter on or after January 1, 2027, financial remuneration and incentives shall not be applied, unless otherwise granted by the commission. For any calendar year in which the electric distribution company's actual return on equity exceeds the return on equity allowed by the commission in the electric distribution company's last general rate case, the commission shall have the authority to adjust any or all remuneration paid to the electric distribution company pursuant to this section in order to assure that such remuneration does not result in or contribute toward the electric distribution company earning above its allowed return for such calendar year.