A Long-Term Take On California's Net Metering Policies - CleanTechnica

The article discusses California’s evolving net metering policies, focusing on the transition to “Net Metering 3.0” and its long-term implications. A former electrician in California’s power industry provides a critical perspective, describing the new policy as a financial gain for utilities at the expense of residential solar customers. Under earlier net metering rules, residential solar owners could offset their electricity use on a near one-to-one basis, effectively reducing their bills to zero if their solar production matched their consumption. Utilities benefited by acquiring excess solar power at low fixed rates and reselling it at higher commercial rates during peak demand, creating a mutually beneficial arrangement. However, with Net Metering 3.0, utilities pay solar customers closer to wholesale rates for excess power, significantly reducing the financial value of residential solar systems. Customers can no longer fully offset their electricity bills due to lower compensation for surplus energy and the introduction of fixed monthly grid connection charges. This shift devalues residential solar investments, requiring larger and more expensive