Despite the creation of a task force in 2014 to address the problem, solar projects in Massachusetts have slowed due to caps on credits rewarded for the projects. These caps make it nearly impossible for major solar projects to continue, said Ben Hellerstein, a field associate at Environment Massachusetts.
“Net metering allows for people to receive credit for the energy they provide to the energy grid,” Hellerstein said. “These caps make it financially impossible for medium and large solar projects to continue.”
Utility companies have worked to put the caps on net metering for the past several months, he said.
“Essentially, the utility companies have insisted on putting caps on net metering in order to prevent the expansion of solar projects,” Hellerstein said.
If the caps are not lifted, there will be negative consequences for Massachusetts as a whole, Hellerstein said.
“Basically, I think that if the caps are not lifted soon, we could see a significant slowdown in the Massachusetts solar industry,” Hellerstein said. “There are also about 12,000 people who are currently employed in the solar industry in Massachusetts, and there could be significant job losses if the caps are not lifted.”
Hellerstein said solar energy is vitally important for the community.
“Solar energy helps cut down on carbon emissions that contribute to global warming, and it creates jobs across the Commonwealth, so it’s really in the best interest of everyone to raise the caps,” he said.
Hellerstein said Environment Massachusetts is working to further solar energy throughout the state of Massachusetts.
“Environment Massachusetts has been working not only to raise the net metering caps, but also to get our state officials to commit to a larger vision on solar energy,” Hellerstein said. “We are asking Governor Baker and other state leaders to have 20 percent solar energy by 2025.”
The Massachusetts Net Metering and Solar Task Force reviews the “long-term viability of net metering and develops recommendations,” according to the task force’s website.
“The [Massachusetts Gov. Charlie] Baker Administration is committed to working with the Net Metering Task Force and energy community to achieve continued solar growth, meet the 2020 solar benchmark levels and establish a framework for a sustainable program with reasonable ratepayer costs going into the future,” wrote Peter Lorenz, a spokesperson for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, in an email.
Several residents said solar energy is invaluable and felt that caps preventing the expansion of solar energy should be lifted.
Rubin Marcial, 55, of Brighton, said solar energy as a whole is beneficial for the community and should always be encouraged.
“Solar energy is good. It’s good for the community,” he said. “Any large solar project is a good thing and they should be allowed to continue.”
Livia Zhao, 21, of Allston, said that despite her limited knowledge of the issue, she knew that solar energy is always a positive alternative so the caps should be lifted.
“Lifting the caps is very necessary,” she said. “I know it’s better for the environment.”
Anthony Toppi, 24, of Allston, said solar energy is incredibly useful when it’s economically accessible.
“Solar energy is great,” he said. “We just need to bring the cost down, so it’s a little more efficient for people to install it on a residential and on a commercial level. People just aren’t as educated about it, and it can be cheap, but people don’t know how to finance it, so if we made it less expensive, it would be better.”
