Net metering proposal meets with resistance from utility providers (what do you think?)

[The Straight Story]

Bill would spin meters in reverse

Net metering proposal meets with resistance from utility providers

By Sandra L. Medearis
Alaska

Diesel generation operators and advocates of alternative energy are lining up on opposite sides of House Bill 66, a measure to establish net energy metering for Alaska utilities.

Net metering is a method of measuring the difference between electricity purchased from a utility, such as Nome Joint Utility System, and electricity used from a ratepayer's private power-generating equipment, such as Nomeite Jim Adams' $20,000 system. Net metering, under the bill, would allow home and business owners to receive credit for electricity produced from solar panels, solar vacuum tubes and wind generators.

Under optimum conditions, an electric meter could run backward, delighting the eyes of cash-strapped Alaskans paying high electric rates in the western part of the state. The credit, in kilowatt hours, could pile up in summer months from solar energy and reduce the customer's electric bill in following months.

Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer, introduced the bill during the Legislature's last session and brought it back again this session for another try. This time, the proposed net energy metering policy has collected additional sponsors—state representatives Austerman, Gatto, Ramras, Munoz, Wilson and Buch, all Republicans except Buch.

"A net metering policy encourages private investment by allowing customer-generators to calculate the paydown of their equipment cost through the calculation of their potential annual solar, wind or hydro continued on page 24

http://www.nomenugget.net/#Anchor-Corp-60572

[ixion]

1. I'm all for it... should have started it decades ago

imo...

[jsamuel]

2. Edwards proposed to do this nationally during the primaries.

[surrealAmerican]

3. It sounds like a good idea.

[Lost in CT]

4. t is a good common sense idea. nt

[TheWraith]

5. This is already the way it's done in a lot of places.

I figured that it was pretty much similar everywhere.

[donco6]

6. They see this as the beginning of the end of power gen. monopoly.

And they're right.

When we all become power generators, we distribute the production beyond all hope of control.

[conscious evolution]

7. The Southern Company hates net metering

They will only give credit to future bills for excess power generated.The credits,in turn,are only good for a year.If you do not consume the power to use those credits up you lose them.
The only way they want you to have net metering is if only they profit from it.