IMPORTANT
Virtual Net Energy Metering (NEMV)
Virtual Net Energy Metering, and more recently the Virtual Net Billing Tariff, lets benefiting accounts (definition below) at a Property (definition below) receive bill credits based on the energy generated and exported to the grid by one or more renewable generators. (In many cases, renewable generators use solar technology.) All renewable generators and the benefiting accounts must be located on the Property.
The meter for the generator account measures the amount of energy exported to PG&E's grid. There should be no other load or usage on the generator account. The Property owner or manager decides what percentage of the energy exported to the grid is credited to each benefiting account.
There are several types of Virtual Net Energy Metering and Virtual Net Billing Tariffs/programs, including:
- Virtual Net Billing Tariff (NBTV)
- Standard NEMV and NEM2V
- NEM2VSOM for the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) incentives program
- NEM2VMSH for eligible low-income multifamily properties
A new tariff special condition called the Virtual Dual Tariff Option (VDT) allows you to add a generator and/or battery on your benefiting account, in addition to receiving virtual credits under the virtual arrangement. To learn more, check out the section below titled, Virtual Dual Tariff (VDT) option.
This webpage provides general guidelines only. For more information, please refer to the applicable tariffs for the detailed requirements.
NBTV
For more information about NBTV, please see NBTV (PDF).
NEMV, NEM2V, and NEMVMASH
The Standard NEMV, NEM2V, and NEMVMASH programs are no longer available for new applications.
Definitions
For the purposes of NEMV:
A Property is defined as:
All of the real property and apparatus employed in a single multitenant or multi-meter facility on contiguous parcels of land. These parcels may be divided by a dedicated street, highway or public thoroughfare or railway, so long as they are otherwise contiguous, part of the same single multi-tenant or multi-meter facility, and all under the same ownership.
A Generator Account is:
An electric meter measuring the renewable generator's output.
A Benefiting Account is defined as:
An individually metered electric account serving a customer such as a tenant or common area in a multi-unit arrangement, such as for an apartment or condominium unit.
Who qualifies for NEMV?
Note: For information about the Virtual Dual Tariff Option or the generator on the benefiting account, please see below.
To qualify, the following criteria must be met:
- The renewable generator must be sized to produce no more than the total annual energy consumption (kWh) of all the benefiting accounts.
- All benefiting account meters receiving energy credits must be on the same Property as the renewable generator meter.
- The benefiting accounts must receive electricity from PG&E, a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) or an Energy Service Provider (ESP), or a mixture thereof.
- The benefiting account meters cannot participate in the RES-BCT program.
- The renewable generator meter can only have load that is required for its operation.
- All meters must be on an applicable Time-of-Use (TOU) rate plan.
Getting started
Prior to interconnecting generation projects to PG&E's distribution system, an interconnection application must be submitted, including some or all of the documents below.
Your application and all needed documentation are most easily processed online. Visit the PG&E Interconnection Portal to get started.
If you are unable to use the portal, you can begin the application by submitting the required forms to Rule21Gen@pge.com.
Note: This process may take longer than the portal.
Required forms:
- NBTV Application (Form 79-1174-03) (PDF)
- NBTV Agreement (Form 79-1220-03) (PDF)
- Single Line Diagram
- Interconnection proposal that tells PG&E where a connection will be made in the existing service panel and where the metal socket will be installed. View a sample proposal (PDF).
Note: References to VNEM in the link include NBTV.
- Meter Socket Spec Sheet that provides the technical details of the meter socket.
- Allocation Spreadsheet:
The customer is advised not to install the project until PG&E has reviewed the interconnection proposal and all other documents listed above. PG&E recommends waiting for notification of approval before moving forward with the installation.
The NEMV/NEM2V and NBTV interconnections are governed by CPUC rules. The renewable generator must be approved in accordance with all applicable guidelines of Electric Rule 21 and the associated virtual tariffs.
The timeline for approval of the interconnection application depends on the details of the system and the interconnection proposal. Once all documents have been received, a customer can expect approval or a request for more information within 10 business days.
Projects with a net generation capacity of 1MW or greater require telemetry per section J.5 of the Rule 21 tariff. PG&E is now offering interconnection customers the option of using their own telemetry solution using one of PG&E's approved devices or aggregator vendors. More information can be found in our introduction/FAQ document in the Distribution Interconnection Handbook.
What needs to happen in order to receive permission to operate?
After receiving approval of interconnection paperwork and the project is installed, submit the following required items to Rule21Gen@pge.com:
- Final approved building permit
- Meter release/green tag which indicates the new meter socket has been approved by the local building department
These items are required for PG&E to issue written permission to operate a generating facility.
The costs to apply for the NEMV/NEM2V and NBTV programs have to do with the type of meters being installed. For the generator account:
It is important to note that potential upgrades to PG&E's grid may be necessary, and a customer may be required to pay for the system upgrade, depending on the type of upgrade, in accordance with Electric Rule 21.
PG&E's Virtual Dual Tariff option
PG&E's VDT option allows a benefiting account customer in a virtual arrangement (like NBTV) to interconnect a renewable generator for resiliency purposes. This option can be set up with or without paired battery storage.
A benefiting account customer can connect their renewable generator under the Solar Billing Plan (as described in the Net Billing Tariff, or NBT) or as a Rule 21-compliant non-export facility. If the renewable generator is connected under NBT and certain conditions are met, the benefiting account customer may earn credits under the NBT and as a benefiting account in the virtual tariff arrangement.
Note: The NBT option under the VDT is expected to be available in September 2026, or when billing is operational as authorized by the CPUC.
For more information, check out the VDT option overview (PDF)
Allowed Virtual Dual Tariff (VDT) Benefiting Account Generating Facility Additions by Virtual Tariff
Virtual tariff billing guides
VNEM Billing Guide
Get to know VNEM statement and billing.