The Vermont Public Utility Commission has recently increased compensation for net metering after releasing its biannual adjustment to the program in late May.
Net metering, which is mainly tied to solar systems, is a way to make a cash return for power not being used by the property where it was generated. It’s a smaller portion of the state’s solar energy generation.
The Vermont PUC has increased that rate of return by roughly a cent per kilowatt hour for new systems, and 2 cents for preexisting systems.
Still, some residents don’t believe this is enough.
“The Scott administration, through the Public Service Department and the Public Utilities Commission, doesn’t have the vision, doesn’t see the ancillary benefits that these kinds of systems provide,” Richmond resident and former town energy committee member Jeff Forward said.
He argues that more needs to be done in order to incentivize solar and net metering in Vermont. A 30% solar tax credit was slashed in the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which passed Congress last year.
The VTPUC did not provide a comment for this story, but within their adjustment document they said:
“The Commission considered a larger reduction but recognizes that the loss of the federal residential Investment Tax Credit (“ITC”) will increase the cost of installing a new ne metering system for most customers.”
Net metering is a separate expense from solar that could cost a rough $30,000 more, state officials with the Vermont Department of Public Service said the state is at its peak for solar energy storage currently. In cloudier months like winter, other energy sources are sought out.
Vermont lawmakers tried to advance a bill that would have given net-metering rate-setting powers to the legislature. The bill did not advance. Still, VTDPS said the state wants to try to find ways to make improvements.
“I am encouraged that the Commission also said that they would open up a proceeding to revisit how net metering is compensated in the future, and we look forward to working with stakeholders in that process to revamp and rework how we compensate for net-metering,” Director of Regulated Utility Planning TJ Poor said. “To make it more equitable and make it more affordable for everyday Vermonters.”
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