The Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on Telecommunication, Utilities and Energy and the Baker Administration's Department of Energy Resources have each delivered comments to the Department of Public Utilities in its Docket 16-64 implementing the Commonwealth's transition to a "market net metering credit" rate for private net metering projects.
The DOER's letter is available here and the Committee's letter is available here.
Each letter strongly asserts that the "interconnection" standard proposed in DPU's initial order represents an abrupt and disruptive transition contrary to the stable and equitable transition intended under the Act Relative to Solar Energy (the "Act"). Instead, the letters suggest adoption by DPU either application for or receipt of a net metering cap allocation under the MassACA system of assurance as the dividing line in the transition to a market net metering credit rate.
The letters are helpful clarifications of not only of the intent of the legislative committee which was instrumental in drafting the Act (and in pushing for release of the Act from a prolonged conference) but also the intent of the administration, which was influential in brokering the compromises included in the Act.
Developers, financers and customers alike nevertheless are encouraged to provide additional comments in the 16-64 Docket in support of the legislature's and the administration's proposals in order to steer the Commonwealth away from another solar emergency.
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