California Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee has amended Assembly Bill 942 to maintain net metering agreements for solar consumers who sell their homes or properties on Tuesday. The amendments also removed language that would deny cap-and-trade climate credits to solar consumers.
“Today the Senate Energy Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Josh Becker, sided with more than a million solar users over utility special interests and their profit motives,” said Brad Heavner, executive director of the California Solar & Storage Association. “Solar supporters in California extend our heartfelt thanks to the Senate Energy Committee and Chairman Becker for their leadership in amending AB 942 to protect the integrity of net metering contracts. This decision is a tremendous victory for California families and businesses who invested in rooftop solar with the state guarantee that their net metering agreements would remain intact—even if they sell their homes.”
Assemblymember Lisa Calderon (D), a former utility executive, introduced AB 942 in February, a bill that proposed capping net metering agreements to 10 years and would force people purchasing homes with solar already installed into the latest net billing terms. Net metering contract lengths were the first stipulations to be amended from AB 942. With the Senate committee’s decision to amend the real estate net billing transfer terms, the bill will no longer break previous net metering/billing contracts.
News item from CALSSA
