House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

Amends the proposed changes to GS 62-156(b)(3), which requires that the rates to be paid by electric public utilities for capacity purchased from a small power producer be established with consideration of the reliability and availability of the power. Provides that a future capacity need must only be avoided in a year where the utility's most recent biennial integrated resource plan filed with the Utilities Commission (Commission) has identified a projected capacity need to serve system load and the identified need can be met by the type of small power producer resource based upon its availability and reliability of power, other than hydropower small power producers with purchase agreements with an electric public utility in effect as of July 27, 2017, and the renewal of such a power purchase agreement, if the hydroelectric power facility total capacity is equal to or less than five megawatts (MW), (previously, generally proposed an exclusion for hydropower so long as the total capacity of the facility is equal to or less than five MW; maintains existing exclusion for swine or poultry waste for which a need is established).

Deletes the proposed changes to GS 62-133.8, which required that the Commission's standards for interconnection of renewable energy facilities and other nonutilty-owned generation with a generation capacity of 10 megawatts or less to an electric public utility's distribution system include an expedited review process for hydroelectric power projects of two megawatts or less.