Premier Solar Solutions, a Henderson, Nev.-based solar sales and installation company, is the latest solar business to suffer from the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada’s (PUCN) December ruling to slash net-metering credits and increase charges for rooftop solar customers.
Premier Solar Solutions says it now has to close its Henderson office, eliminate 66 full-time positions, and relocate to a state that “favors small business and the right of customer choice.”
The solar company claims the PUCN decision, which has faced widespread resistance since its inception, favors NV Energy’s monopoly over consumers’ energy choice. By retroactively changing the rates for existing solar customers, the PUCN has penalized 17,000 homeowners who were encouraged to invest in solar by the state, according to Premier Solar Solutions.
“We are devastated that the commission’s anti-solar decision forced us to lay off 66 hard-working employees who were bringing the first form of energy choice to Las Vegas families,” says Robert Lamore, owner of Premier Solar Solutions. “Governor Sandoval and Commissioners Noble, Thomsen and Burtenshaw changed the rules in the middle of the game, eliminating local jobs and wiping out investments for thousands of families who chose solar. The commission should reverse this decision immediately.”
In addition to Premier Solar Solutions, SolarCity and Sunrun previously announced plans to cease operations in Nevada and cut jobs, citing the PUCN ruling as the cause.
