Save net-metering as we know and need it!
We must speak out quickly to FERC against an attempt to destroy the progress we have made with net-metering.
A nonprofit group, New England Ratepayers Association (NERA), has spent years fighting clean-energy legislation in New England. They have petitioned Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to assert control over all state net-metering programs. We have until June 15th (extended!) to speak out against their petition EL20-42.
Net-metering programs pay customers for the energy they feed back to the power grid. Solar net metering has been the backbone of the U.S. rooftop solar market for the past twenty years. Undoing net-metering policy would devastate solar and other renewable generation installations.
Currently, the net-metering policy is set at State level where we have influence. FERC is a federal regulatory body that answers only to the Federal Executive Branch and has been consistently oriented toward fossil fuel interests.
We have until May 14th to file comments opposing this cynical petition filed by NERA. Every voice raised against this petition is critical.
The process is a bit laborious to describe, and we want to make it easy.
Here is a video Using the eFiling system to submit a comment to FERC that will step you through the process. Thanks to MOF’s Pat Martin for making the video!
Try it, you’ll like it! (Pat is happy to answer any questions: pmartin2894@yahoo.com )
The basic steps are:
Prepare your comment:
- Prepare the text of your comment. A sample letter is attached to this email. Please personalize it. They are apt to discount comments that are too similar. Save it as a Word document or as a PDF.
Register yourself on the FERC online website:
- Go to this website: https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx
- Register yourself by clicking on eRegister in the menu on the left. You will be asked to put in your information, create a Password which can be anything you like, type the characters in the validating box, and hit Next to go through two screens where you give your address and employer (if any) until you finally hit Done.
- At this point, you will have to go to your email for the “Verification email”. Take the link provided in the FERC email to return to the FERC site and you are ready to start your efiling.
Efile your comment:
- Select eFiling from the list on the left.
- Now select Filing Type on the left, and select General and then Comment (on Filing, Environ, Report, or Tech Conf). Now hit Next.
- Now, you have to Select Docket. Enter Docket number EL20-42, hit Search, and finally, hit Select to the right of the docket description. The NERA’s petition will show up in the Selected Docket box. Hit Next.
- The next step is to bring up the file with your comment to upload. First enter the description of your comment: Comment on the petition to change net metering rules. Next, select Choose File to get to your file on your computer. Select Open. When the file name appears, select Upload.
- When your file name appears in the box, click on Select All and then Next.
- This takes you to a screen where you specify the filing parties. Select As an individual and click Next.
- Put in your email address and select Add as signer and click Next.
- Unless you want to change something, simply click Next to get to the summary screen.
- Finally, you must click on SUBMIT to have your comment go to FERC.
CONGRATULATIONS! You’re done!
Thank you for caring and taking the time to submit a comment opposing this destructive petition.
PS: Here is a link to an article about the petition EL20-42 if you want additional information Federal Solar Policy Challenge From Group With N.H. Ties Draws National Attention. By the way, NERA has been around much longer than the article reports.