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House Energy Committee weighs H.716 to freeze net‑metering adjuster; members split on scope
Summary
The House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee on Feb. 18 debated H.716, a bill to freeze a negative net‑metering adjuster at -4¢ and remove a behind‑the‑meter fee. Members said they support solar but disagreed about legislative rate setting, with many asking for a narrower amendment focused on behind‑the‑meter treatment and battery provisions.
Representative Brett Morrow, sponsor of H.716, told the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee on Feb. 18 that the short bill would ‘‘freeze in a negative rate adjuster of 4 negative 4¢ and … eliminate it on behind the meter consumption fee.’’ The committee spent the morning examining whether that near‑term fix is the right approach amid larger changes in federal incentives and utility compensation policies.
The bill was framed by Morrow as an interim measure to respond to the loss of a federal tax credit that he said threatens local solar jobs and installation firms. ‘‘California lost 19,000 jobs in the first year after that went into effect,’’ he said, citing testimony presented to the committee as a cautionary example of rapid policy change’s economic impact.
Why it matters: net‑metering rules determine…
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