.Last summer, the Trump Administration and Congress abruptly terminated a two-decade-old tax credit for families that invest in residential solar. Since then, the Sierra Club and our allies in the environmental community have been pushing for more favorable compensation for rooftop and backyard solar to help offset the damage done by the Trump Administration. A few weeks ago, Governor Scott’s Public Service Department shared its recommended response: do nothing or make it worse.
Every two years, the Public Service Department and Public Utility Commission update the rates that Vermont families and businesses get for going solar in the “Net Metering Biennial Update.” According to Vermont’s net-metering rule, this includes updating the “blended rate,” which determines the value of the credits Vermonters get for the extra power they generate each month. As electricity rates rise, the blend rate rises too, ensuring that rate increases don’t erode the value of the extra solar customers send back to the grid.
Shockingly, Governor Scott's Public Service Department’s main recommendation was to skip the update to the blended rate, making things worse for every Vermonter who is already net metering. This approach would see the value of the extra solar generation shrink by more than 10%, costing hundreds to thousands of dollars a year for net metering customers in Vermont, who rely on these regular updates to protect their investments.
Take Action here by sending the message below to the Public Utilities Commission. Please also consider personalizing your message and changing the email subject matter. Personalized messages get more attention:
Net metering is the only state program that supports renewables in the built environment. After the Trump Administration terminated residential renewable energy tax credits, Vermont should strengthen net metering to make it accessible to more Vermont families and ensure more of our power comes from rooftops and backyards.
The Public Utility Commission should reject the Public Service Department's recommendations, which would unfairly penalize Vermonters who have already invested in solar, and instead update the net metering siting adjustors to help offset the loss of the federal tax credits.
