20 Va. Admin. Code § 5-335-90

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 22, June 17, 2024

Section 20VAC5-335-90 - Licensing of energy storage aggregators

A. Other than a Phase I or Phase II Utility, each person seeking to conduct business as an energy storage aggregator shall obtain a license from the commission prior to commencing operations.

B. Each person applying for a license to conduct business as an energy storage aggregator shall file an application with the clerk of the commission. If the applicant becomes aware of any material changes to any information while the application is pending, the applicant shall inform the commission of such changes within 10 calendar days. Applications shall include the following information:

1. Legal name of the applicant as well as any trade name.

2. A description of the applicant's authorized business structure, identifying the state authorizing such structure and the associated date (e.g., if incorporated, the state and date of incorporation; if a limited liability company, the state issuing the certificate of organization and the date of issuance).

3. Name and business addresses of all principal corporate officers and directors, partners, and limited liability corporation (LLC) members, as appropriate.

4. Physical business addresses and telephone numbers of the applicant's principal office and any Virginia office location.

5. Whether the applicant is an affiliate of a Phase I or Phase II Utility. If so, the application shall further provide a description of internal controls the applicant has designed to ensure that it and its employees, contractors, and agents that are engaged in the (i) merchant, operations, transmission, or reliability functions of the electric generation systems, or (ii) customer service, sales, marketing, metering, accounting, or billing functions do not receive information from the utility or from entities that provide similar functions for or on behalf of the utility as would give the affiliated energy storage aggregator an undue advantage over nonaffiliated energy storage aggregators.

6. A list of states in which the applicant or an affiliate conducts business as an energy storage aggregator, the names under which such business is conducted, and a description of the businesses conducted.

7. Toll-free telephone number of the applicant's customer service department.

8. Name, title, address, telephone number, and email address of the applicant's liaison with the commission.

9. Name, title, and address of the applicant's registered agent in Virginia for service of process.

10. If a foreign corporation, a copy of the applicant's authorization to conduct business in Virginia from the commission or if a domestic corporation, a copy of the certificate of incorporation from the commission.

11. Sufficient information to demonstrate, for purposes of licensure with the commission, financial fitness commensurate with the services proposed to be provided. Applicant shall submit the following information related to general financial fitness:

a. If available, applicant's audited balance sheet and income statement for the most recent fiscal year and published financial information, such as the most recent Securities and Exchange Commission forms 10-K and 10-Q. If not available, other financial information for the applicant or any other entity that provides financial resources to the applicant.

b. If available, proof of a minimum bond rating (or other senior debt) of "BBB-" or an equivalent rating by a major rating agency or a guarantee with a guarantor possessing a credit rating of "BBB-" or higher from a major rating agency. If not available, other evidence that will demonstrate the applicant's financial responsibility.

12. The name of the utility certificated to provide service in the area in which the applicant proposes to provide service, the type of services the applicant proposes to provide, and the class of customers to which the applicant proposes to provide such services.

13. The following information related to the applicant's fitness to operate as an energy storage aggregator:

a. Disclosure of any (i) civil, criminal, or regulatory sanctions or penalties imposed or in place within the previous five years against the company, any of its affiliates, or any officer, director, partner, or member of an LLC or any of its affiliates pursuant to any state or federal law or regulation; and (ii) felony convictions within the previous five years that relate to the business of the company or to an affiliate of any officer, director, partner, or member of an LLC.

b. Disclosure of whether any application for license or authority to conduct the same type of business as it proposes to offer in Virginia has ever been denied, whether any license or authority issued to it or an affiliate has ever been suspended or revoked, and whether other sanctions have been imposed.

c. If the applicant has engaged in the provision of energy storage aggregation in Virginia or any other state, a report of all instances of violations of reliability standards that were determined to be the fault of the applicant, including unplanned outages, failure to meet service obligations, and any other deviations from reliability standards during the previous three years. The report shall include, for each instance, the following information:

(i) a description of the event;

(ii) its duration;

(iii) its cause;

(iv) the number of customers affected;

(v) any reports, findings, or issuances by regulators or electric and natural gas system reliability organizations relating to the instance;

(vi) any penalties imposed; and

(vii) whether and how the problem has been remedied.

14. A $250 registration fee payable to the commission.

15. A discussion of the proposed uses of the aggregated resources, including the nature of the intended participation in wholesale electric markets, if any.

16. Sufficient information to demonstrate technical fitness commensurate with the service to be provided, to include:

a. The applicant's experience.

b. Identity of applicant's officers and key managers with direct responsibility for the business operations conducted in Virginia and their experience in the provision of storage aggregation.

c. Documentation of the applicant's membership or participation in regional reliability councils or regional transmission organizations, if any.

d. Billing service options the applicant intends to offer and a description of the applicant's billing capability, including a description of any related experience.

17. A copy of the applicant's dispute resolution procedure.

18. The standards of conduct to which the applicant adheres or agrees to adhere.

An officer with appropriate authority, under penalty of perjury, shall attest that all information supplied on the application for licensure form is true and correct and that, if licensed, the applicant will abide by all applicable regulations of the commission.

C. Any application that fails to conform to the requirements of this section shall be regarded as incomplete. No action shall be taken on any application until deemed complete and filed.

D. Upon receipt of an application for a license to conduct business as an energy storage aggregator, the commission shall enter an order providing notice to appropriate persons and an opportunity for comments on the application. The commission shall issue a license to conduct business as an energy storage aggregator upon finding the applicant satisfies the requirements established by this section.

E. A license to conduct business as an energy storage aggregator granted under this section is valid until revoked or suspended by the commission after providing due notice and an opportunity for a hearing or until the energy storage aggregators abandons its license.

F. An energy storage aggregator shall comply with all initial and continuing requirements of the commission's licensure process and any reasonable registration processes required by the utility in whose certificated service territory the energy storage aggregator intends to operate. Should the commission determine, upon complaint of any interested person or the Attorney General or upon staff motion or its own motion that an energy storage aggregator has failed to comply with any of the requirements of this section or a commission order, the commission may, after providing due notice and an opportunity for a hearing, suspend or revoke the energy storage aggregator's license or take any other actions permitted by law or regulations as it may deem necessary to protect the public interest.

20 Va. Admin. Code § 5-335-90

Derived From Virginia Register Volume 37, Issue 10, eff. 1/1/2021.

Statutory Authority: §§ 12.1-13 and 56-585.5 of the Code of Virginia.