Net energy metering (NEM) is a renewable energy policy functioning in about 40 U.S. states. Citizens can receive financial credits in their electric bills when they feed excess energy from their renewable energy storage back to utilities.
In California, for example, the policy has encouraged rooftop solar panel installations in around 1.3 million homes, the highest in any state. But the state’s utility companies obviously haven’t been happy about it. Their new proposal, NEM 3.0, pins extra charges on Californians, including people who do not use solar power, and lowers what the utility companies pay per kWh of excess energy returned to grids. Several environmental groups and even individuals have called out utility companies. The Environmental Working Group of California started gathering petitions from Californians to fight against the policy.
The decision is up to the CPUC, and their vote is on December 15, 2022.
