The report “Freeing the Grid”, released by solar energy advocates Vote Solar Initiative, Interstate Renewable Energy Council, the Solar Alliance, and the Network for New Energy Choices, gave their 2009 assessment for each states’ net metering practices. Our sun-drenched state earned an A for its net metering policies, which is a nice improvement from the “B” grade it received in 2008. Net metering allows homeowners to earn credits on their utility bill for the excess electricity generated by their solar panels, which helps make going solar viable for many homeowners.
According to Jane Weissman, Executive Director of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, net metering helps to form the backbone of our nation’s rooftop solar markets and they create local jobs. She states if unnecessary hurdles are removed and customers are fairly compensated for delivering clean electricity to the grid, U.S. homes and businesses can and do go solar.
We’re excited to see an increase in the number of policies supporting solar energy. The 13 states that received an A or B in net metering in 2007 more than doubled to 27 states in 2009! We’re hoping to see this upward trend continue in next year's report.