New York State Scores a “D” on Renewable Energy Report Card
Feb 18th, 2008 by Jervey
Our local net metering policies are bringing home the kind of grades that would’ve gotten me grounded. From the Environmental Advocates of New York:
New York’s net metering policy, the practice that credits consumers for the clean power they generate, received a grade of “D” on a report card released earlier this month by the Network for New Energy Choices.
New York has one of the most restrictive net metering policies in the Northeast. Pennsylvania and New Jersey received “A”s and Connecticut scored a “B.” The report card is available at www.newenergychoices.org.
New York’s net metering policy, often referred to as “spinning the meter backward,” restricts the size of eligible energy systems. We are also one of only two states in the nation (out of the 40+ that are currently home to net metering policies) that doesn’t allow commercial and industrial customers to receive credit for the excess power they generate back to utility companies. Current New York State law limits system capacity to sizes too small to give businesses incentives to invest in their own clean energy systems.
The state can improve its net metering policy by increasing eligible system size, opening up net metering to all customers—residential, agricultural and business, expanding net excess generation for wind, and increasing the overall limit on net metering enrollment.
Fixing the state’s net metering policy would go a long way toward unleashing the economic development potential of the growing clean energy industry in New York.