Wednesday, May 18, 2011

NY legislature moves to expand net metering

The New York State Senate and Assembly have voted to expand net metering for farm and non-residential customers who generate their own power with wind or solar.

Through the act of net metering, electric customers who produce their own electricity via wind or solar renewable sources are able to send extra electricity produced back to the grid and receive credit therefore. It is a way essentially, to roll one’s electric meter backward.

The expansion would allow remote net metering. That is, provided the customer produces and uses energy in the same load zone serviced by the same electric utility, the customer could produce electricity at one spot – say a windy ridge – but use electricity at another, perhaps a parcel or two over where the barn and homestead are. Current legislation requires production and consumption at the same electric meter.

The Senate and Assembly bills are, respectively, S. 3407 and A. 6270-b. Most recently the Senate bill was returned to the Assembly. No word yet whether Governor Cuomo, once he receives it, will sign the bill into law.

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