Thanks to your efforts and like minded clean energy advocates across the state the so called ” compromise” solar bill H 4185 never made it out of committee this week. Introduced late in the session, crafted in secret by large scale out of state solar developers and financiers with the utilities, this bill would have radically changed solar electric policy. Legislators recognized that certain provisions in this complex bill would not have saved ratepayers money. Despite superficial aspects that seemed pro solar in fact the bill would’ve given utilities greater discretion to delay projects, reduce the viability of true Community Solar projects and burden small solar owners with increased costs.
The Berkshire delegation in the House and Senate , Reps. Pignatelli, Mark, Farley- Bouvier and Cariddi and Senator Downing were each instrumental in educating their colleagues on the failings of this bill. They worked throughout the last few weeks to assure a modest net metering cap increase so solar projects can continue. This was accomplished through an amendment to the Solar thermal bill S 2214 passed in the Senate and House last night. A task force has been set up to meet this Fall to discuss the myriad issues and make recommendations to the legislature on future solar electric net metering legislation.
S 2214, was not a controversial bill and will now allow solar thermal system owners to earn credits on their clean energy production.
Again thanks for your help – grassroots networking succeeded in countering the mis- information fed to the press and repeated by some environmental organizations that claimed H 4185 was a pro solar bill.
Please follow efforts by solar stakeholders to keep Massachusetts solar policy on course through an open and deliberative process at the website of the Massachusetts Solar Owners Association, www.masoa.org
Posted By: cdk . (2014-08-01)