Bill could place solar energy cap on utility solar customers

LAS VEGAS — There’s a solar battle brewing between lawmakers in Carson City over whether solar customers are getting too much of a good deal when it comes to selling electricity back to the grid.

Senate Bill 374 could dictate which agency will be in charge of deciding if there will or won’t be a cap on the solar energy generation. NV Energy and solar companies have been lobbying the legislature for months trying to get lawmakers to swing the vote their way.

At times, the two groups have even targeted each other through radio and TV ads.

One ad released by the solar industry said, “People like having the choice to go solar, no matter what NV Energy says. Politicians in Carson City are caving to pressure, and will force this industry to shut down at the end of the month.”

The war of words between NV Energy and the Alliance for Solar Choice stems from the debate about what the state should do with it’s net metering policy for electric customers with solar panels.

“Net metering says if there’s excess and you want to push it back to the grid. You will get a credit for that on your electric bill,” said Paul Thomson, Director for the Governor’s Office of Energy.

Thomson says solar customers may hit the net metering limit of 3 percent by this summer. When that happens, there won’t be any more credits for new solar installations on rooftops.

A spokesperson for NV Energy said the actual cost of electricity is about five cents per kilowatt-hour. The retail cost to customers is 12 cents per kilowatt-hour. The remaining seven cents pays for infrastructure and distribution.

“Raising the net metering cap increases costs to all customers, and we oppose putting upward pressure on rates,” said Jennifer Schurict, NV Energy Spokesperson. “We continue to work with all stakeholders to advance solar development in our state while creating long-term rate stability for all customers.”

The credit for solar customers means they’re getting a pass on paying for costs associated with delivering electricity which means millions of dollars could be shifted to non-solar customers, according to the utility companies.

However, Bryan Miller with the Alliance for Solar Choice said that’s not true.

“The only problem with that statement is that the commission extensively studied those claims for a year, and completely debunked them,” Miller said.

If SB 374 passes, the Public Utilities Commission will get to decide what to do with the solar cap, but the commission hasn’t released any details about what it will do.

Bill could place solar energy cap on utility solar customers