The Callous Net Metering 3.0 Plan May Destroy the Future of Solar
Editor’s notes, 2/1/2022 – Changes have been made with updated information to better inform our readers on this urgent topic. This includes adding more accurate dates and expectations for the Net Metering 3.0 Plan.
The government in California has temporarily tabled the proposed Net Metering 3.0 plan. However, on Feb 10, 2022, the California government and the California Public Utilities Commission will reach a vote. If this plan is approved, solar installation benefits could be affected as soon as June. Rather than creating a plan that benefits both residents, it basically punishes solar residents for installing solar panels. Solar homeowners would be charged up to a $75 monthly fee for access to the power grid. The Net Metering 3.0 plan may destroy solar as we know it. It will decrease solar installation and put hundreds of solar workers out of work.
The plan drastically reduces the financial incentives residents would get from installing solar on their roofs. It increases the cost of solar residents to access the power grid and it significantly decreases the amount the city pays them for using their solar energy. The purpose of the plan is to balance the cost non-solar residents are paying for every solar resident connected to the grid. Rather than balancing, it’s forcing the solar industry into disarray as they are paying increased fees with their solar installation payments and receiving decreased tax credit incentives. This directly contradicts Governor Newsom’s goal in converting California to carbon-free electricity 2030.
When speaking with KPBS about the Net Metering 3.0 plan, Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of the California Solar and Storage Association, said “it’s so bad. We think the proposed decision, the bones of it, are so rotten, it will not hold.”
In preparation for the possibility of the Net Metering 3.0 plan passing, solar residents are purchasing solar battery storage to liberate themselves from the grid completely. It stops them from net metering and cycles their generated solar energy throughout their home. We, at Solar Brokers, implore everyone to begin their solar installation process as soon as possible. The process – Consultation, paperwork, installation, government approval, electric company approval, waitlists. Billing cycles– is at least 60 days long. June is 120 days away! We’ll do our best to ensure you’re grandfathered into the Net Metering 2.0 plan. All you have to do is START.
For now, the temporary hold on Net Metering 3.0 is a step in the right direction for solar installation companies. It helps workers keep their jobs, maintain the pursuit of clean renewable energy installation, and people can continue to save money saving the planet. Solar panels systems are an integral contributor to saving the environment and transitioning the world
How Solar Brokers Can Help With Net Metering
Solar Brokers is a client-focused solar company that is a mediator between you and solar installation companies. We advocate complete transparency with our clients. Net Metering 3.0 is a plan that could be detrimental to the future of solar. We want our clients to save money and contribute to a healthier future– financially and environmentally.