Net Metering: The District of Columbia, Minnesota, and New York improved their grades since 2011. Net-metering best practices have evolved to include virtual net metering, meter aggregation, and other innovative community-shared models. New Jersey and Maryland added a bonus point to their already-stellar A’s in net metering for allowing meter aggregation. While California as a whole shines for its practices, the report awards a “worst practice” to one of the state’s major utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), for its proposal of a network use charge (NUC), since it could have had a negative impact on the otherwise thriving local rooftop solar market. The California Public Utilities Commission rejected the NUC proposal in January 2012.
Interconnection Procedures: Eight states received A’s this year, a significant improvement from five in 2011 and none in 2007. Hawaii leapt from an F to a B for interconnection: In November 2011, the state adopted simplified interconnection rules for small renewable systems that streamline the previously arduous review process.
