Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Michigan: Solar owners who want to feed into grid may not be able to use their own energy
Solar owners who want to feed into grid may not be able to use their own energy under Senate proposalBy Emily Lawler | elawler@mlive.com
on August 05, 2015 at 9:25 AM, updated August 05, 2015 at 10:12 AM
LANSING, MI -- Solar industry experts say that Senate legislation overhauling Michigan's energy policy would eliminate the ability of small-scale solar users to use their own renewable energy to offset their utility costs. ... Currently small solar and renewable projects at Michigan homes, businesses and nonprofits are able to connect to the grid of their regulated utilities through a net metering program, which allows customers to offset their electricity costs with their own renewable energy and then potentially sell excess energy back into the grid.
A small but growing number of Michiganders have chosen to do just that. According to a report released by the Michigan Public Service Commission on Tuesday there are now 1,840 customers who use net metering. ... But Senate Bill 438, which changes parts of state energy law as part of a legislative overhaul, would change how the system works. According to Amy Heart, spokesperson for The Alliance for Solar Choice, it would essentially eliminate net metering in Michigan.
"Instead of the homeowner having the ability to have solar on your home and have it reduce your energy at the end of the month... you are no long able to use that energy that you generated on your home," said Heart, whose organization advocates for rooftop solar all over the country. ... Under the proposal, a homeowner with a solar installation would buy all of their electricity at retail rate and then sell all of the energy they produce back to the utility at what's essentially a wholesale rate.
Irene Dimitry, vice president of Business Planning and Development for DTE Energy, said while net metering pilot programs for solar had been successful, it's not a new technology anymore and we shouldn't be subsidizing or incentivizing it.
on August 05, 2015 at 9:25 AM, updated August 05, 2015 at 10:12 AM
LANSING, MI -- Solar industry experts say that Senate legislation overhauling Michigan's energy policy would eliminate the ability of small-scale solar users to use their own renewable energy to offset their utility costs. ... Currently small solar and renewable projects at Michigan homes, businesses and nonprofits are able to connect to the grid of their regulated utilities through a net metering program, which allows customers to offset their electricity costs with their own renewable energy and then potentially sell excess energy back into the grid.
A small but growing number of Michiganders have chosen to do just that. According to a report released by the Michigan Public Service Commission on Tuesday there are now 1,840 customers who use net metering. ... But Senate Bill 438, which changes parts of state energy law as part of a legislative overhaul, would change how the system works. According to Amy Heart, spokesperson for The Alliance for Solar Choice, it would essentially eliminate net metering in Michigan.
"Instead of the homeowner having the ability to have solar on your home and have it reduce your energy at the end of the month... you are no long able to use that energy that you generated on your home," said Heart, whose organization advocates for rooftop solar all over the country. ... Under the proposal, a homeowner with a solar installation would buy all of their electricity at retail rate and then sell all of the energy they produce back to the utility at what's essentially a wholesale rate.
Irene Dimitry, vice president of Business Planning and Development for DTE Energy, said while net metering pilot programs for solar had been successful, it's not a new technology anymore and we shouldn't be subsidizing or incentivizing it.
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
