Maine's solar policy debate will come to head very soon, when lawmakers will be voting on LD1504, An Act Regarding Solar Power for Farms and Businesses .
LD1504 (a Republican sponsored bill) would fix the Maine PUC's disastrous solar net metering ruling. The PUC ruling, if allowed to take effect, would create an unheard-of tax on behind-the-meter solar generation and cost all Maine ratepayers as much as $2,000,000 by the end of 2018.
We cannot over-emphasize the importance that Maine's legislature pass LD1504 and fix the PUC's flawed rule change.
To vote NO on LD1504 is to vote AGAINST the interests of Maine ratepayers. The PUC anti-solar rule change doesn't just hurt the solar industry. The rule change would mandate the utilities pay for upgraded billing systems and unnecessary equipment, costs that are ultimately paid for by ratepayers, with no demonstrable savings.
The PUC rule change does nothing to advance the conversation around solar policy in Maine. It is based on flawed assumptions (not on data), and moves Maine's energy policy away from, rather than towards, a needed shift towards a market-driven system leverages solar and other distributed energy resources to lower costs for everyone.
The PUC's rule-change is bad for Maine ratepayers, bad for Maine consumers, bad for Maine's solar industry.
Follow through to SolarForME.org to educate yourself and contact your local legislators.
