1. An electric utility that primarily serves densely populated counties shall, on or before August 1, 2017, file with the Commission in a manner authorized by NRS 704.110 a request that the Commission establish an optional time-variant rate schedule for customers, including, without limitation, customer-generators who acquire an energy storage system.

2. An electric utility that primarily serves less densely populated counties shall, on or before January 16, 2018, file with the Commission in a manner authorized by NRS 704.100 a request that the Commission establish an optional time-variant rate schedule for customers, including, without limitation, customer-generators who acquire an energy storage system.

3. A request filed pursuant to subsection 1 or 2 must be designed to expand and accelerate the development and use of energy storage systems in this State.

4. The Commission:

(a) Shall review each request filed pursuant to subsection 1 or 2;

(b) May approve each request that the Commission finds to be in the public interest; and

(c) Not later than March 15, 2018, shall issue a written order approving or denying each request filed pursuant to subsection 1 or 2.

5. As used in this section:

(a) “Electric utility that primarily serves densely populated counties” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 704.110.

(b) “Electric utility that primarily serves less densely populated counties” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 704.110.

(c) “Energy storage system” means any commercially available technology that is capable of retaining energy, storing the energy for a period of time and delivering the energy after storage, including, without limitation, by chemical, thermal or mechanical means.

(d) “Time-variant rate schedule” means a rate schedule that incorporates different rates for different times of day during which electricity may be used by a customer or fed back to the utility by the customer.

(Added to NRS by 2017, 4278)