Legislators Asked to Raise Net Metering Caps to Keep Solar Working for Massachusetts

BOSTON - April 7, 2015 - PRLog -- A large and diverse group or organizations, businesses and citizen activists gathered at the State House today as part of Stand Up for Solar lobby day to deliver a message to Massachusetts lawmakers: “Raise the Net Metering Caps!”  This request comes as solar net metering caps have been reached in National Grid service territory, stalling the development of any new municipal, community shared, low income and most commercial solar projects in 171 cities and towns.  Most residential and small commercial projects are exempt from net metering caps and not impacted by this development.

“Solar supports 12,000 jobs in the Commonwealth,” stated Russ Aney from Avid Solar, also a policy leader for MassSolar.  “Many of those jobs are at risk if the legislature doesn’t raise the net metering caps immediately,” he continued.  Massachusetts is the nation’s second largest solar employer in the country, surpassed by only California, and it has been growing employment more than 10 times faster than Massachusetts overall.  Since the Great Recession began, solar has helped thousands of unemployed electricians, construction workers and others find jobs with good wages. This local investment has a multiplier effect when they spend their wages and generate tax revenue for the state, helping our local economy while reducing our need to import energy, which sends money out of our local economy.  “Investing in our local clean energy capacity delivers both short-term and long-term benefits for Massachusetts,” Aney highlights, “both environmentally and economically.”

“Raising the caps now will restore access to solar for local businesses and municipalities whose projects are on hold,” stated Mark Sandeen from RePower Partners and a member of MassSolar.  “It will also allow those solar projects to bring more federal dollars into Massachusetts before federal solar tax credits expire in 2016,” Sandeen continued.  The federal solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is a 30% tax credit available to all solar systems but will expire for residential systems by December 31, 2016 and be reduced to 10% for commercial systems.  An estimated $769 million dollars in federal money could flow into Massachusetts if it were to meet the Commonwealth’s 1600 MW solar goal.

Massachusetts currently has nearly 800 megawatts (MW) of solar installed, able to generate about 2% of the state’s electricity or enough to power 120,000 homes.  The state has committed to increasing the amount of solar to at least 1600 MW or about 4% of the electricity consumed in the state.  Massachusetts is at the end of the energy pipeline and renewable energy technologies like solar are one way to keep more of our energy dollars local.  “Solar also helps lower energy prices for all electricity ratepayers,” says Larry Aller from Next Step Living, “because it tends to generate most during sunny summer months, when electricity demand and electricity prices are high.  The coincidence of solar generation with peak demand suppresses energy prices for all ratepayers, and it also defers or avoids the need to invest in new Transmission and Distribution grid capacity, reducing the future delivery charges on everyone’s electricity bills.”

“Solar does much more than keep the lights on.  It powers our economy, stabilizes electricity prices and reduces climate change pollution,” stated Claire Chang from the Solar Store of Greenfield and a member of MassSolar.  “Net metering caps arbitrarily limit solar and the many benefits it provides to the Commonwealth. We’re asking the legislature to keep solar working for Massachusetts by passing legislation as quickly as possible,” Chang continued.

Several bills have been filed this session to address the net metering cap issue.  One bill, SD 1616/H 2852, filed by Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Action) and Representative Thomas Calter (D-Kingston) and Representative Paul Mark (D-Peru) would raise net metering caps to 1600 MW and exempt small and medium solar projects from net metering caps altogether. “This would allow most rooftop, community shared solar, low income and municipal solar projects to move forward without the constraints and uncertainty the solar market is currently facing. It’s a thoughtful solution to an urgent matter that we hope all legislators will consider” adds Aney.

The Stand Up for Solar Lobby Day was sponsored by a diverse group of organizations: American Lung Association of the Northeast, Boston Area Solar Energy Association, Better Future Project, Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative, Clean Water Action, Climate Action Now, Environment Massachusetts, Environmental League of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Climate Action Network, MASSPIRG Students, MassSolar, Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts, Next Step Living, SEBANE, Sierra Club, Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts, Toxics Action Center, and Vote Solar.

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MassSolar is a collaboration of Massachusetts solar businesses, solar owners, environmental advocates, community organizations and motivated citizens. See their website: www.solarisworking.org.