The New York State Public Service Commission has revoked the business authorization of four Distributed Energy Resource (DER) suppliers for violations of the state’s Uniform Business Practices for Distributed Energy Resource Suppliers. The companies affected are County Solar Solutions Inc., Smart Home Energy Source, F.I Electrical Corp., and Elite Design and Construction.
Commission Chair Rory M. Christian stated, “DERs are an essential resource that will help the state achieve its energy and policy goals. But every distributed energy resource provider in New York must comply with all applicable orders from this Commission to maintain eligibility to operate in New York. If the companies fail to comply, we will take swift action to revoke their ability to do business in New York State or penalize them financially.”
These companies have served thousands of consumers across New York. Consumers whose DER supplier is no longer authorized can choose another provider.
The Uniform Business Practices for DER Suppliers establishes standardized procedures for such companies throughout the state. As the retail energy market has developed, these practices have been updated to adapt to market changes while maintaining consumer protections and efficient communication between DERs and utilities.
A DER supplier offers access to small-scale energy generation or storage technologies—such as solar farms, rooftop panels, or batteries—that are typically located close to where electricity is used and connected locally to the grid.
In a separate decision, the Commission approved changes to Standardized Interconnection Requirements aimed at helping more DER projects qualify for federal investment tax credits. Under new Internal Revenue Service rules, qualifying projects must enter service within certain deadlines. The Commission will now allow utilities to group potentially eligible projects together and prioritize them in construction schedules over non-eligible ones. This change is intended to improve planning and deployment of resources by utilities while giving developers more flexibility and certainty about meeting IRS requirements.
Further details on today’s decisions can be found by searching relevant case numbers on the Commission’s website at www.dps.ny.gov or by contacting their office in Albany.
