SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Californians who decide to install home solar panels and storage systems would get lower discounts on their energy bills under a proposal released by state regulators that would lengthen to a decade the time it takes to recoup the costs of installation.
The proposal unveiled Monday would change California's current net energy metering program. It allows residential solar customers to sell energy they don't use back to power companies at retail rates. That usually results in a big discount on their energy bills.
State regulators and major utilities say that means home solar customers aren't paying their fair share of costs for the energy grid's operation.