Making the electric meter go backwards

New York net metering rules expanded

By FRITZ MAYER

ALBANY, NY — New York State got a “D” for its net metering laws from an energy activism group in February. Pennsylvania and New Jersey each got an “A.” But now that New York has moved to change the laws, the group, Network for New Energy Choices, is going to revise the grade significantly upward.

Net metering laws are the ones that let consumers and other energy users sell electricity, produced from renewable energy sources such as solar panels, back into the grid.

The New York laws are set to change in several significant ways. For consumers who want to go solar, the new rules will allow residents to sell back energy from systems as large as 25 kilowatts (kW); the old size limit was 10 kW. This will allow residents to achieve greater savings with solar installations. The size limit for residential windmills will jump from 10 kW to 25 kW.

For farmers, the increase in wind is even more attractive, jumping from a size limit of 125 kW to 500 kW. The new rules also up the size limit on farm-waste electric generation systems, which create electricity by burning methane gas collected from animal waste, from 400 kW to 500 kW.

But the most significant change in the net metering rules allows businesses to sell electricity into the grid, which, except for power plants, had been prohibited in the past. Now, all commercial and industrial customers will be able to sell energy from solar or wind systems up to two megawatts in size. One megawatt is equivalent to 1000 kW.

Governor David Paterson, who ran on a platform of promoting renewable energy when he ran for New York State Attorney General in 2006, announced the agreement with the legislature on June 19.

He said, “I want to thank the legislature for making this enhanced energy law a reality. In addition to changing the state’s dependency on traditional, fossil-fuel-based energy sources, this law will be a job creation vehicle, particularly in upstate New York.

The law was supported on both sides of the aisle. Senate majority leader Joseph Bruno, a Republican, said, “At a time when New York’s families are struggling with rising energy costs, this is an opportunity to provide much needed relief.

Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, said, “The expansion of net metering paves the way for greater independence and cost savings for New York’s energy consumers. This legislation will encourage residents, businesses, schools and non-profits to reduce costs by producing power through non-polluting alternative sources such as solar and wind technologies.”