Net Metering

Also on the rise: Greenbacker acquires a significant financial interest in the 150MW operating Aurora solar portfolio. Community choice solar programs save New Yorkers $7 million in seven months. LONGi pits its modules against others in snow load test. American Battery Factory announces giga-plans. UL and NREL released a report on cybersecurity certification recommendations. Vibrant Clean Energy study details approaches for Michigan to reach carbon neutrality. Wood Mac analysts help install solar in Puerto Rico.

House Bill 741 was passed by the Florida Legislature. The rate paid by utilities to rooftop solar owners for excess electricity sent back to the grid is set to be phased down to a fraction of its original rate. It also opens the door for unlimited fixed fees to be levied on solar customers.

Two bills moving their way through the House and Senate of Florida threaten to slash the value of Net Energy Metering. The bills are being described as a knockout punch to the industry and have strong bipartisan opposition.

Also on the rise: Steps that buyers can take to ensure quality module supply. New Jersey installed 4GW of solar in 2021. DOE develops strategies to solve clean energy supply chain issues. The report card is out–which states have the best policies? Aspen Power secures $120 million, 200MW of distributed and community solar. Speeding development of the first commercial lithium project in Arkansas. DHL tops its fleet trucks with solar.

The 2022 Community Power Scorecard developed by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance grades the states on which give communities the most power to advance clean energy and which present barriers to local economic development through renewable power. Only four received top grades, indicating that most states have a lot of work to do.

Four groups that support rooftop solar have asked federal energy regulators to disallow the “common” utility practice of charging their customers for their anti-solar advocacy.

Under the proposed reduction to the compensation for excess solar generation, 93% of surveyed solar shoppers to say they are no longer interested in buying.

The amendment would allow existing net metering customers to keep their current rates for 20 years, but would slash future rates and add in base facilities charges, electric grid access fees, monthly minimum bills, or other fixed charges.

In a welcome ruling, the Nova Scotia government announced that it will protect solar homeowners and small businesses in the solar industry by stopping the fixed monthly charge proposed by Nova Scotia Power.

The proposal, which came under fire from industry leaders, environmentalists, and working Californians, was called a rooftop solar-killing measure. Meanwhile, a new state board granted PG&E a provision to raise electric rates to recover its losses from the wildfires for which it was found liable.