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Solar Companies Cry Foul Over New NV Metering Rules

Marufish, Flickr, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Nevada’s Public Utilities Commission voted to change rates for rooftop solar customers this week — prompting an outcry from solar companies and their advocates, like Sen. Harry Reid, who say the decision is major blow to the industry. 

 

Ask the CEO of one of the country’s largest rooftop solar companies what impact he thinks the commission’s decision will have on the state’s burgeoning solar industry, and you get this:

 

“No, it’s destroyed. Done.”

 

That was Lyndon Rive, head of SolarCity and cousin to Tesla chief Elon Musk, who’s also heavily invested in the company. He spoke to our public radio partner KNPR in Las Vegas about the ruling. 

 

Tuesday’s decision will allow NV Energy to pay rooftop solar customers less for the excess energy their panels store and charge them a flat rate for service, affecting about 17,000 Nevadans. 

 

Rive says the state has done a complete 180 in going from encouraging rooftop solar to penalizing it. 

 

“Now the state says, ‘You know that promise we made you? Yeah, we’re going to reneg on that promise, and you’re going to pay high fixed fee. And you’re not going to see any of the returns that we promised you before.’”

 

Rive says his company plans to appeal the commission’s decision. In the meantime, Salacity will stop selling and installing its panels. 

Julia Ritchey is a former reporter at KUNR Public Radio.
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