Federal authorities have noted inconsistencies in CUC’s grant application, but Muna said this can be addressed by explaining why the agency no longer has an independent board of directors and cannot meet the 10 percent alternative energy requirement.
Muna said he will ask the grant writer to address the issue and put all the information to justify CUC’s application.
CUC will use the grant to purchase three diesel generators, each providing seven megawatts of power.
Because CUC is still under a state of emergency it does not have a board of directors and remains under the governor’s control.
Regarding the alternative energy requirement, Muna said they have yet to establish the net metering regulations for Public Law 15-87, which mandates that certain percentages of power should be acquired from a renewable energy source.
Muna said the net metering regulations will allow dual sources of power — from alternative energy and CUC’s power grid.
In the net metering method any power consumer may install solar panels or windmills, but his house or establishment will still be connected to CUC.
If the production of power from the alternative energy source is more than the actual need of the household, the customer may feed it into the CUC grid and the agency will pay for it.
On Aug. 10, 2006, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial signed into law a measure establishing incentives for producing electricity using alternative or renewable energy sources.
This was repealed by Public Law 15-87 signed by Fitial on Sept. 26, 2007 to allow private power producers to produce and sell electricity produced by renewable energy to CUC on a large-scale basis.
