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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
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Legislation Addresses Surplus Energy Sale

A state Senate bill that increases the net metering cap for San Diego Gas & Electric Co. has been passed unanimously out of the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications.

Net metering allows electricity customers who generate their own power using solar or wind turbines to essentially run their meters backward. This happens when the power generated by the customer flows back to the utility and is used by other customers.

State law currently caps the use of net metering at a specific level for all the major utilities in the state. SDG & E; is the first utility to come close to reaching the cap, according to the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego.

The bill will boost this cap to 50 megawatts for the region served by SDG & E;, which includes San Diego County and the southern part of Orange County, allowing customers who generate their own power to sell their surplus energy back to the grid. The city of San Diego established a goal of installing 50 megawatts of renewable energy by 2014.

“For San Diegans who generate their own power, this legislation will help reduce their energy bills,” Kehoe said. “Net metering helps San Diegans by encouraging alternative local energy sources, reducing demand on the energy grid and allowing the city and other energy generators to sell their electricity back to the grid.

The fact that the San Diego region has reached the current cap so far ahead of other counties in the state shows the local commitment to a sustainable environment.”

The bill now will be considered on the Senate floor.

Pat Broderick

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