SAN DIEGO, June 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, San
Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) reached a significant
milestone in renewable energy, the program limit for the original
rooftop solar subsidy, Net Energy Metering. With this new
milestone, state law requires SDG&E to transition future
rooftop solar customers into a new program, which offers many of
the same benefits as the current subsidy.
"Transitioning new private solar customers to the next phase of
the Net Energy Metering program is another sign that our region is
a leader in the clean energy movement," said Caroline Winn, chief energy delivery officer,
SDG&E. "Advancing clean energy solutions like solar and
electric vehicle adoption is one way we're working hard to provide
our customers with more sustainable energy choices."
Future customers who install solar will see only minor
changes:
- A fee for interconnecting solar panels to the power grid,
excluding low income housing programs. This is expected to cover
the cost for ensuring solar panels are safely connected to the
electric panel, as well as the process of accepting new private
solar generation.
- Customers in the new program will also contribute to support
state-mandated low-income and energy efficiency programs and other
non-bypassable charges.
- In 2017, new solar customers will pay Time of Use Rates, paying
for energy based on the time of day the energy is used.
Customers who are in the process of installing solar were
notified of the coming transition earlier this month. Applications
for the new program will be accepted online within 24 hours.
Customers who installed private solar prior to the limit being
reached are grandfathered under the rules of "Net Energy Metering
1.0" for 20 years from the date they installed solar.
In addition to serving more than 90,000 private solar rooftops,
SDG&E recently ranked as the top utility in America for
renewable energy sales. The nation's top designation, released in a
new report by Ceres, shows that only a handful of utility companies
are responsible for much of the national surge in solar and
wind power and energy efficiency programs. SDG&E provides
more than 33 percent of its energy from renewable sources and is on
track to delivering more than 40 percent of its energy from clean,
renewable sources by 2018.
SDG&E is an innovative San
Diego-based energy company that provides safe, reliable,
clean energy to better the lives of the people it serves in
San Diego and southern
Orange counties. More than 4,300
employees work to provide the most reliable and clean energy in the
West. The company has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency for leadership in addressing climate change, was
the first to meet California's
goal of delivering 33 percent of energy from renewable sources, has
fueled the adoption of electric vehicles and energy efficiency
through unique customer programs, and supports more than 600
non-profit partners. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy
(NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in
San Diego. For more information
visit sdge.com/newsroom or connect with SDG&E on Twitter
(@SDGE), Instagram (@SDGE) and Facebook.
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SOURCE San Diego Gas & Electric