JOETEN-Kiyu Public Library Director Erlinda C. Naputi on Tuesday asked the Senate to pass House Bill 23-6, which would include JKPL in the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.’s net metering system for renewable energy capacity.
Authored by Rep. John Paul Sablan, H.B. 23-6 proposes to include libraries, as education entities, in net metering, and prioritize their interconnection with net metering.
This would also allow the public libraries to qualify and apply for federal grants that support the CNMI government’s priorities for clean energy.
Net metering is a system in which solar panels or other renewable energy generators are connected to a public utility power grid and the surplus power is transferred onto the grid, allowing customers to offset the cost of power drawn from the utility.
Public Law 18-75 requires CUC to prioritize Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. and Public School System for net metering.
In her testimony during a Senate session, Naputi said the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library “struggles to pay its utility bills each month.”
The CNMI government, she added, “cannot afford to fully subsidize JKPL in order to satisfy our monthly utility bills.”
In fiscal year 2022, Naputi said JKPL’s annual utility cost was $104,000. Net metering, she said, will save money that JKPL can use for other essential needs of the community.
She said the public library is humbly seeking the Senate’s support in prioritizing net metering to include the public library because the only way to reduce their utility costs is to utilize renewable energy sources.
Naputi also informed the senators that JKPL expects an annual savings of at least 100% in utility costs once a solar power system is in operation.
From left Sen. Jude U. Hofschneider, Sen. Frank Q. Cruz, Sen. Paul A. Manglona, Senate Vice President Donald M. Manglona and Sen. Dennis Mendiola confer after the adjournment of a Senate session on Tuesday.
