Last week, Governor Scott’s Public Service Department released its recommendations to the Public Utility Commission for an update of Net Metering rates.
PSD’s preferred solution includes freezing the “blended rate”, used to calculate the value of net metering credits, for the first time ever. This cuts the compensation received for the 20,000 people currently net metering including massive cuts to the virtual net metering for schools, municipalities, people in community solar, etc.
PSD’s alternate recommendation calls for basically the status quo for new net metering which is to say it remains out of reach for too many Vermonters now that the Trump Administration and Congress have eliminated the 30% federal tax credit for owning your own solar.
Both of the options presented by Governor Scott’s Public Service Department make it more expensive to put solar on your roof, backyard, or over a driveway or parking lot, and fail to help Vermonters impacted by Trump’s recent elimination of the federal tax credits for home solar.
Governor Scott’s proposal to cut net metering compensation will:
- Increase property taxes in the school districts that net meter solar
- Raise the electric bill of the approximately 20,000 homeowners and businesses who net meter
- Threaten good paying jobs in the solar sector throughout Vermont
- Make it even more unaffordable to put solar on your roof, in your backyard or over a driveway or parking lot
- Threaten the financial viability of every one of Vermont’s community solar and virtual net metering arrays
The PUC is taking public comments until May 1st with new rates taking effect August 1st. You can submit a comment on line here or via email to puc.clerk@vermont.gov. See this presentation for more information on the proposed cuts.