Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Public Utilities Regulatory Authority

New Standard Service Rates for Eversource and United Illuminating (UI) customers, covering the period from January through June 2025, have been announced. Customers are encouraged to check the rate board for up-to-date supply rate options at Energize CT


Program Overview

The Non-residential Renewable Energy Solutions (NRES) Program is a statewide program that provides renewable energy tariffs to compensate non-residential owners of distributed energy resources like solar for the power their systems produce and provide to the electric grid. Launched in 2022, the NRES Program is a successor program to the Low Emission Renewable Energy Credit and Zero Emission Renewable Energy Credit (LREC/ZREC) and Virtual Net Metering (VNM) programs.

In June 2021, PURA issued a final decision that established the program objectives to foster the sustained, orderly development of the state’s Class I renewable energy industry and to encourage participation by customers in underserved and environmental justice communities, among others. The program is statutorily authorized to run for six (6) years and to select up to 110 MW of clean energy annually.

 

The PURA Clean Energy Ombudsperson acts as an independent mediator to resolve program disputes for three renewable energy programs – the Non-Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (NRES), Shared Clean Energy Facility (SCEF), and Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (RRES) Programs.

The Authority authorized the creation of an independent ombudsperson in 2023, in Docket No. 23-08-03, Annual Non-Residential Renewable Energy Solutions Program Review – Year 3. The Authority subsequently held a solicitation for a consultant to serve as the ombudsperson and selected Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC (SEA) to serve as the ombudsperson for the three programs, effective April 1, 2024. 

The ombudsperson provides support to the programs by:

  1. Mediating disputes between program participants and the electric distribution companies (EDCs) that do not require a ruling from the Authority; and 

  1. Reviewing and approving project extension requests beyond program in-service time period requirements.

 

For information on how to contact the ombudsperson, please click here.

*NEW* Recent Changes (2023 only)

In the latest NRES annual program review, PURA authorized several changes to the program, including:

  • Revised 2024 price caps for Buy-All and Netting project bids;
  • Amended megawatt capacity allocation between project size categories;
  • Changed the selection process for small zero emission projects to the lottery system used in Year 1 of the program;
  • Established an independent ombudsperson to resolve disputes; and
  • Authorized updates to interconnection screening process and hosting capacity maps.
   
Learn More About the Program

Frequently Asked Questions

Fact Sheet

Program Manual


Program Websites and Contact Information
Program Administrators Email Website
Eversource Energy ctcommrenewables@eversource.com Visit Eversource's website
United Illuminating (UI)

NRES@uinet.com

 Visit UI's website


For additional inquiries, please contact PURA's customer affairs team at PURA.information@ct.gov.

 

PURA Decisions

Program Authorization Decision: Docket No. 20-07-01, 06/30/21

Program Year 1 Decision (2022): Docket No. 21-08-03, 11/03/21
Program Year 2 Decision (2023): Docket No. 22-08-03, 11/09/22
Program Year 3 Decision (2023): Docket No. 23-08-03, 11/08/23