ALBANY--A broad coalition of clean energy advocates said this week that the New York State Senate and Assembly have passed legislation fixing New York’s net metering laws, which were expanded in 2008 to give non-residential customers the ability to net meter renewable power generating systems up to 2 megawatts in size. The amendment (A.7557A/S.6700), which was one of Governor David Paterson’s program bills and sponsored by Assemblyman Kevin Cahill and Senator George Maziarz, corrects restrictions in the 2008 law that prevented its original intent from being fulfilled.
"The Legislature made excellent progress when it updated New York’s net metering laws and gave all customers the opportunity to harvest clean, renewable energy," said Carol E. Murphy, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. "The amendment passed today means the expanded net metering law will finally function as it was meant to and that millions of dollars in green energy systems can be installed. We commend the governor and energy chairs for making this bill a priority."
Net metering allows the owner of an on-site renewable energy system to receive a credit on his or her utility bill for any unused power supplied to the electric grid by the system. The credit then offsets the power received from the grid when the customer consumes more energy than the system is generating. In addition to acting as a hedge against rising energy costs and reducing overall stress on the electric grid, on-site renewable energy sustmers provide numerous environmental, public health, and economic development benefits to local communities.
Cahill, who chairs the Assembly Energy Committee, said, "New York continues to embrace the many job-creating, public health, environmental and economic benefits of increased on-site generation. This shows what can be done when we roll up our sleeves and work in a bi-partisan manner to continue building a new energy economy."
Maziarz, chair of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, said, "What we are doing today is fine tuning the 2008 law so businesses can take full advantage of the energy saving opportunities associated with net metering. This green technology is good for the environment, but, as businesses incorporating net metering will show, it is also good for our economy. Reducing energy costs is a fundamental part of promoting increased economic activity in the state."
In 2008, the Legislature voted to expand net metering to commercial customers with wind and solar electric systems of up to 2 megawatts in size and to increase the size of wind and farm waste systems that farmers can net meter up to 500 kilowatts. Prior to this, net metering was only available to small residential and farm service installations. Technical language in the 2008 law unintentionally restricted the size of the systems non-residential customers could net meter to well below the 2 megawatt maximum in the bill, and thus prevented many commercial customers from installing systems sized appropriately for their energy needs.
"This fix allows for accelerating the renewable energy revolution," said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE). "Making net metering of on-site wind and solar systems more consumer friendly is a win-win for our environment and economy, while increasing our energy independence," Esposito added.
The coalition supporting this fix included Alliance for Clean Energy New York, Vote Solar Initiative, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Advocates of New York, and New York League of Conservation Voters.
Source: Alliance for Clean Energy New York
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