North Carolina Commission requests net metering comments

On March 3, the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) issued an Order Requesting Comments regarding a net metering motion that was recently filed by the North Carolina Stainable Energy Association (NCSEA). In its motion, NCSEA requested that the Commission direct Duke Energy Corporation (DEC) to:

“guarantee, at a minimum, the continued availability of the current net metering terms and conditions for a period of 10 years from the customer’s install date to each residential or commercial customer who installs a net metered rooftop solar system prior to issuance of a final order in any net metering proceeding initiated in the coming year; and (2) disclose, within a reasonable period, to NCSEA and other intervenors the analysis upon which DEC is basing its messaging that net metering in North Carolina is unfair.”

NCSEA further stated in the motion that customer-owned generation remains the only competitive retail threat to a public electric utility; that DEC has stated that it “will seek to change the current net metering rules because the rules are unfair”; that DEC has “indicated its intent to alter the state’s net metering rules”; that studies show that the benefits to customers of solar generation outweigh the costs; that DEC’s messaging has created market uncertainty negatively impacting the rooftop solar market; and that the Commission can offer relief from this uncertainty, prior to a final resolution in this Docket, by directing Duke to provide the above requested relief.

The order requested comments be filed in Docket E-100, SUB 83 by Friday, March 21.  Reply comments are due by April 4.

Laurel Passera

Laurel is a Senior Renewables Analyst for IREC attorneys Keyes, Fox & Wiedman, and engages in research and analysis of net metering and interconnection regulatory trends to support IREC’s outreach and communication efforts. In 2009, Laurel was a Southeast Regional Network fellow for the Southeast Environmental Leadership Program and currently sits on Raleigh City Council’s Environmental Advisory Board.