Solar Energy Show

Copyright 2022 - Barry Cinnamon - The Energy Show My 2022 solar and storage predictions came into clearer focus — although I didn’t like the picture — after the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) dropped a bomb on California’s solar and battery storage industry. Basically, the CPUC sided with PG&E and other utilities in California to eliminate Net Metering. The proposed terms for Net Metering 3 (NEM 3) cannot be considered net metering since new solar customers will actually be penalized for connecting to the grid under this rate. The utilities’ NEM 3 proposal includes high monthly fixed costs, wholesale daytime reimbursement rates, and a change in grandfathering for existing NEM customers. Under this planned NEM 3 regime, solar customers will be better off economically with a battery and never send excess power to the grid. The California solar and storage industry mobilized to modify this poorly-reasoned CPUC decision. The NEM 3 decision is now delayed for another few months, most likely being