The PA PUC proposed rule on solar net metering has drawn a lot of press lately from major newspapers across the state. (See http://triblive.com/business/headlines/8449120-74/solar-cap-power#axzz3biKjb410 and http://articles.philly.com/2015-04-25/business/61497727_1_the-puc-power-production-commission-chairman-robert-f.)
Net metering is where a solar system (on a house, for example) generates more electricity than the homeowner uses that day, the homeowner then sells the electricity back to the grid, and he or she receives a credit on their electricity bill. Basically, it turns the homeowner’s solar PV system into a revenue generator.
Problems arise when net metering becomes overused and costs to maintain the grid, which all of us pay, become higher. So for those of us who don’t own a solar PV system, we end up subsidizing those who do.
To help mitigate this issue, the PA PUC proposed rule puts limits on what can be net metered. In my view, this proposed rule is a basic, common-sense proposal that is important public policy on a couple of levels. First, without the rule, the cost of operating the grid would become higher for people who don’t have rooftop solar panels on their houses, which would be especially detrimental to low-income households. Second, the rule prevents a few well-heeled folks from using the grid for their own personal profit without contributing to the upkeep of the grid. Those screaming the loudest against the rule want the “freeload” effect for their own profit, at the expense of all the rest of us and especially to those who can afford it the least.
The full PUC rulemaking appears here, and it covers more than just solar net metering. I encourage readers to weigh in and support the PA PUC proposed rule.
