Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission Selects APX Infrastructure to Manage its Renewable Energy Standard.

State of Rhode Island Manages Renewable Energy Certificates in the NEPOOL GIS, Administered by APX 

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- APX, Inc., a leading provider of technology, operations, and professional services for the energy industry and environmental markets, is pleased to announce today that the State of Rhode Island has selected the APX environmental market infrastructure to manage Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and compliance with the state's Renewable Energy Standard (RES). As of January 1, Rhode Island commenced RES operations within the New England Power Pool Generation Information System (NEPOOL GIS).

Starting in Compliance Year 2007, Rhode Island load serving entities must obtain from Eligible Renewable Energy Resources, a target percentage of at least three percent (3%) of electricity sold by an Obligated Entity at retail to Rhode Island End-use Customers. In each subsequent Compliance Year through Compliance Year 2019, the target percentage increases to a maximum of 16% in 2019.

APX operates and administers the NEPOOL GIS. The GIS verifies and manages the Renewable Energy Certificates that are the basis for environmental trading and investment incentives in the New England states, and monitors emissions of all generators producing and/or selling power in the ISO-NE Control Area. Rhode Island Certificates adhere to the same principles as all other Certificates issued in the NEPOOL GIS, particularly that a single Certificate will be created for each 1 MWhr of generation.

"We were quite pleased with how easy it was for APX to integrate our new RES program into the GIS. Our State's requirements were met with a minimum of development, and in a remarkably short time," said Elia Germani, Chairman of the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission. "Best of all, our requirements were met as a 'non-cardinal change,' meaning that APX implemented our additional requirements at no cost to the NEPOOL GIS participants."

A novel aspect of the Rhode Island RES relates to customer-sited and off-grid generation facilities (often called "behind-the-meter" generation) which may be certified as an eligible resource. This is generation that is not monitored by the ISO New England settlement system, displaces all or part of the metered consumption of the end use customer, and is not connected to a utility transmission or distribution system. The RES requires that such generation be monitored and verified by a party independent of the generation unit and any other party that might create a conflict of interest. This requirement sets an important precedent for third party verification to ensure data integrity in such circumstances. APX has implemented this capability in a way that can be used throughout the GIS program, if other states choose to adopt a similar approach.

"The NEPOOL GIS continues to be the platform of choice for compliance with the various RPS programs in New England," said Dennis Duffy, chairman of NEPOOL's Generation Information System Operating Rules Working Group. "We continue to be pleased with APX and the GIS's flexibility in integrating new state programs. Although the various state programs are similar, they are not identical. We appreciate APX's high level of service and their ability to handle each state's differences - in support of the region's REC markets."

Under the Rhode Island RES, eligible renewable energy resources include direct solar radiation, wind, movement of or the latent heat of the ocean, the heat of the earth, small hydro facilities, biomass facilities using eligible biomass fuels and maintaining compliance with current air permits (eligible biomass fuels may be co-fired with fossil fuels, provided that only the renewable energy fraction of production from multi-fuel facilities is considered eligible), or fuel cells using the renewable resources referenced in this section.

Developed, administered and hosted by APX, the NEPOOL GIS began operation July 1, 2002 to help verify retail electric supplier compliance with various green power and environmental regulations. A web-based system, the NEPOOL GIS records the fuel sources and other attributes associated with generation and creates a unique, traceable digital certificate for every MWh generated within or imported into the ISO New England Control Area. The system also tracks greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for all generation, including CO, CO2, SO2, NOx, particulates, VOCs and mercury. Retail electric suppliers use the system's Certificates to report compliance with requirements set by New England states, including Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and disclosure of fuel sources.

To date, the NEPOOL GIS has created and managed about 700 million Certificates. Over 290 market participants in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, and New York are currently using the GIS. Other implementations of the APX Environmental Market Solutions serve market participants in PJM (PJM GATS), ERCOT (Texas REC) and as of 2007, WECC (WREGIS).

About the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission: The Public Utilities Commission serves as a quasi-judicial tribunal with jurisdiction, powers, and duties to implement and enforce the standards of conduct under u39-1 et seq. and to hold investigations and hearings involving the rates, tariffs, tolls, and charges, and the sufficiency and reasonableness of facilities and accommodations of railroad, ferry boats, gas, electric distribution, water, telephone, telegraph, and pipeline public utilities, the location of railroad depots and stations, and the control of grade crossings, the revocation, suspension or alteration of certificates issued pursuant to u39-19-4, appeals under u39-1-30, petitions under u39-1-31, and proceedings under u39-1-32. Through participation in the Energy Facility Siting Board, the Commission's Chairman also exercises jurisdiction over the siting of major energy facilities, pursuant to Chapter 42-98. More information is available at http://www.ripuc.state.ri.us/index.html.

About APX, Inc.: APX is North America's leading infrastructure provider for environmental markets in renewable energy and greenhouse gases, as well as corporate environmental management. APX technology is now the system of choice for every major renewable energy market in North America, including the PJM (GATS), ISO New England (NEPOOL GIS), WECC (WREGIS) and ERCOT (Texas REC) markets. Users of these systems include more than 400 of the nation's largest environmental commodity brokers, marketers, generators, and load serving entities. APX also provides technology, strategic consulting, and expert operational services to assist wholesale power market participants reduce costs and improve performance in power scheduling, settlement, market operations, and demand response programs. Clients include utilities, merchant companies, wind & renewable generators, financial institutions, retail service providers, ISOs/RTOs, and other electricity market participants. A privately held company, APX is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA. More information is available at www.apx.com.

About NEPOOL: NEPOOL is a voluntary association of more than 300 participants in the New England bulk power system. NEPOOL advises ISO New England Inc. on the operation and administration of the New England transmission system and wholesale power markets in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. More information is available at www.iso-ne.com.