Solar continues to be held captive to net metering limits

With this winter's snow all but melted and the temperatures climbing, solar projects across the Commonwealth remain on hold thanks to net metering cap limits. As of 4/22, more than 60 MW of solar was on the waiting list in National Grid territory (see table below).  The current backlog of solar projects is greater than the total amount solar installed in Massachusetts in 2011.  Stalled projects include low income, community shared and municipal solar projects.  More than 170 communities across Massachusetts are impacted by the net metering caps being reached.  It's up to the legislature to act to address this issue.

The net metering cap problem has  garnered attention from both local and national news media.  The Cape Cod Times and Worcester Telegram, for example, have reviewed the local impact in recent articles that can be viewed here and here.  Commonwealth Magazine published an article yesterday with an environmentalist's persepctive on the net metering caps and utility opposition to solar.  And finally, Greentech Media also has an article discussing how net metering caps are limiting access to solar by putting community shared solar projects on hold.

New to net metering?  Get the low down here.