A consortium of solar advocacy groups and industry associations delivered a petition with 50,000 signatures to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) urging it not to change net-energy metering (NEM) rules on existing solar customers.
Legislation passed last year requires the CPUC to consider new NEM rules for customers that install systems after July 2017. Solar and environmental advocates are calling for existing rules to continue for 30 years or more, commensurate with the expected lifespan of solar energy systems. Utilities, citing the costs of existing NEM policies, are arguing that NEM rates for existing customer be guaranteed for 6-12 years. The PUC has a March 31 deadline to make a decision.
Groups organizing the petition effort include the Vote Solar Initiative, the California Solar Energy Industries Association, the Solar Energy Industries Association, the Sierra Club, Environment California and a number of companies in the solar sector.
