Remote Net Metering Passes Both Houses

ALBANY, NY (05/09/2011)(readMedia)-- The Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY) announced today that the State Senate and Assembly have passed legislation amending New York's net metering laws, which were expanded in 2008 to give non-residential customers the ability to net meter renewable power generating systems of up to two megawatts in size. The amendment (S.3407A/A.6270B), sponsored by Senator George Maziarz and Assemblyman Marcus Crespo, lets farm and non-residential customers more efficiently utilize renewable energy resources by allowing the use of remote net-metering when their generating equipment is not immediately adjacent to the location of their energy use.

"The Legislature made excellent progress when it updated New York's net metering law and significantly expanded the opportunity to harvest clean, renewable energy," said Carol E. Murphy, Executive Director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. "The amendment passed today means customers seeking to install renewable energy system will not be restricted if their electricity needs are not located in the same place as their renewable energy resource. This is especially important for agricultural customers, as well as municipalities and school districts, and we commend Assemblyman Crespo and Energy Chairs Cahill and Maziarz for making this bill a priority."

New York's utilities are required to provide for the interconnection and net energy metering of wind, solar and farm waste generating equipment, which allows the owner of such systems to receive a credit on his or her utility bill for any unused power supplied to the electric grid. The credit then offsets the power received from the grid when the customer consumes more energy than the system is generating.

Current net metering law requires the customer's electric meter to be physically connected to the generating system, and only accounts for the use of one meter. For some customers it is not practical or possible to use electricity on the immediate site where it is produced. In other cases, customers who have multiple meters for multiple buildings and facilities are not able to utilize the renewable energy they produce at more than one site of electricity consumption.

With this amendment, farm and non-residential customers will be able to generate electricity at one location and obtain credit for the electricity produced at another location. As a result, agricultural enterprises, small businesses, municipalities and school districts throughout the state will be able to employ remote metering to fully utilize their renewable energy resources and better control their energy costs. In addition to acting as a hedge against rising energy costs and reducing overall stress on the electric grid, on-site renewable energy systems also provide numerous environmental, public health, and economic development benefits to local communities.

Senator George Maziarz, bill sponsor and Chair of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee said, "By continuing to improve the effectiveness of New York's net metering law, more farms and businesses, as well as municipalities and school districts, will be able to take full advantage of the energy saving opportunities associated with on-site renewable energy. We know that reducing energy costs is a fundamental part of promoting increased economic activity in our state, and the legislation passed today will help us accomplish that goal in an environmentally conscious way."

Bill sponsor Assemblyman Marcus Crespo said, "This bill will help increase the number of New Yorkers generating their own clean, renewable electricity by eliminating a great deal of red tape when it comes to net metering. As a result, renewable energy systems will become a much more economical option for businesses and schools looking to better control their energy use and reduce carbon footprints. It's a win-win for the environment and economy at a time when we need it most."

"This legislation marks another important step toward making solar and wind systems a cost effective solution for businesses and not-for-profits," said Assemblymember Kevin Cahill, Chair of the Assembly Energy Committee. "Net metering is boosting our renewable energy industry and creating jobs for installing and maintaining these systems. As a state, we are embracing the many environmental, public health, economic development and energy security benefits of clean on-site generation."

About ACE NY

The Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY) is a broad coalition dedicated to promoting clean energy, energy efficiency, a healthy environment, and a strong economy for the Empire State, and is New York's premier advocate for the rapid adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. www.aceny.org