(2) The commission shall establish an alternative compliance rate based on the cost of qualifying electricity, contracts that the electric company or electricity service supplier has acquired for future delivery of qualifying electricity and the number of unbundled renewable energy certificates that the company or supplier anticipates using in the compliance year to meet the renewable portfolio standard applicable to the company or supplier. The commission shall also consider any determinations made under ORS 469A.170 in reviewing the compliance report made by the electric company or electricity service supplier for the previous compliance year. In establishing an alternative compliance rate, the commission shall set the rate to provide adequate incentive for the electric company or electricity service supplier to purchase or generate qualifying electricity in lieu of using alternative compliance payments to meet the renewable portfolio standard applicable to the company or supplier.
(3) An electric company or electricity service supplier may elect to use, or may be required by the commission to use, alternative compliance payments to comply with the renewable portfolio standard applicable to the company or supplier. Any election by an electric company or electricity service supplier to use alternative compliance payments is subject to review by the commission under ORS 469A.170. An electric company or electricity service supplier may not be required to make alternative compliance payments that would result in the company or supplier exceeding the cost limitation established under ORS 469A.100.
(4) The commission shall determine for each electric company the extent to which alternative compliance payments may be recovered in the rates of the company. Each electric company shall deposit any amounts recovered in the rates of the company for alternative compliance payments in a holding account established by the company. Amounts in the holding account shall accrue interest at the rate of return authorized by the commission for the electric company.
(5) Amounts in holding accounts established under subsection (4) of this section may be expended by an electric company only for costs of acquiring new generating capacity from renewable energy sources, investments in efficiency upgrades to electricity generating facilities owned by the company and energy conservation programs within the company’s service area. The commission must approve expenditures by an electric company from a holding account established under subsection (4) of this section. Amounts that are collected from customers and spent by an electric company under this subsection may not be included in the company’s rate base.
(6) The commission shall require electricity service suppliers to establish holding accounts and make payments to those accounts on a substantially similar basis as provided for electric companies. The commission must approve expenditures by an electricity service supplier from a holding account established under this subsection. The commission may approve expenditures only for energy conservation programs for customers of the electricity service supplier. [2007 c.301 §20]