Solar, Utility Companies Clash over Changes to Net Metering

According to the Energy Information Administration, the number of residential net-metered utility customers exploded from almost zero in 2003 to more than 300,000 in 2012.  Falling panel prices, coupled with attractive incentives, expanded the market for rooftop solar. Last month, even the White House installed a rooftop solar array.

This rapid growth is leading some utilities to rethink rules favoring solar energy, citing unexpected consequences and issues of fairness.  But rooftop solar developers are aggressively pushing back, accusing utilities of attempting to quash an emerging competitor and entrenching their energy monopoly.

Solar, Utility Companies Clash over Changes to Net Metering