Last week, South Carolina Public Service Commissioner Tom Ervin beckoned to accept a proposal that included several suggestions from the various non-utility parties, including the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCEA) , with regard to successor net meter rates.
Dominion’s original proposal was prohibitively expensive for solar customers. It would have resulted in excessive fixed and variable unavoidable monthly costs, which would drastically slow the adoption of rooftop solar in South Carolina. Today, the Commission unanimously rejected Dominion’s proposal and instead opted for a net meter rate built around several suggestions from the joint parties.
According to The stateA homeowner with an average rooftop solar power system would have seen a 60% cost savings under Dominion’s rejected proposal.
The solar industry celebrated the decision.
Today, the South Carolina Public Service Commission chose to block Dominion Energy’s proposal and keep South Carolina’s net metering. This was the right decision for South Carolina taxpayers and the local solar industry. Dominion Energy’s proposal would result in harmful, unnecessary costs for rooftop solar customers in South Carolina, and this decision rejects that proposal and implements the parties’ suggestions, ”said Will Giese, SEIA Regional Director Southeast, in a statement . The decision also honors the legislative intent of the Energy Freedom Act 2019 and will go a long way towards building a vibrant clean energy industry in the state. It ultimately gives South Carolinians the freedom to opt for inexpensive rooftop solar power, while also helping to create jobs, cut emissions, and maintain the low electricity bill for all taxpayers.
News item from SEIA
Comments are closed.