BIG WIN FOR SOLAR IN MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts Solar Industry, Utilities and Regulators Reach a Deal on Solar Policy

Herman K. Trabish, June 16, 2014 (Greentech Media)

Compromise solar policy legislation in Massachusetts could serve as a template for reforms in other battleground states…Two important solar policies will change significantly and that could save ratepayers in the state more than $500 million if lawmakers approve the proposal…Net energy metering (NEM), which provides a retail-rate bill credit to solar owners for electricity their systems send to the grid, will remain in place unaltered, but the cap will be eliminated and ratepayers will have a “minimum bill” instead of the present “monthly charge.”…[and] solar renewable energy credits (SRECs), which create revenue for solar owners when purchased by utilities to meet state-mandated renewables obligations, will be replaced by a tiered, performance-based incentive system after a six-month period of transition during which both will be available…After the new policies are approved by the legislature, the minimum bill and the tiered performance-based incentive schedule will be established by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities in a standard regulatory proceeding… click here for more

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