Talking Points

Net metering encourages investment in renewable sources of energy.

• By allowing customers with small scale renewable energy generators to connect their systems to the energy grid, these customers can invest confidently in renewable systems with the knowledge that they will always have a reliable source of energy coming from the grid, if and when they need it.
• Net metering laws allow customers the option to get the majority of their energy supply from clean, environmentally friendly sources.
• Allowing customers to sell excess electricity back to the grid gives customers a financial incentive to invest in renewable sources of energy, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and fuel cells.

Net metering helps decrease our reliance on fossil fuels.

• Encouraging investment in renewable energy resources, even on a small scale, will contribute to the diversification of our energy supply and reduce our reliance on harmful fossil fuels such as coal and oil.
• Net metering is a simple and effective way to start the process of weaning our country away from its heavy reliance on fossil fuels.
• By burning less fossil fuel, we reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming and climate change as well as limit the harmful fossil fuel emissions that contribute to human health problems such as asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

Net metering fosters energy efficiency.

• By connecting small generating systems to the electricity grid, states can ensure that all of the energy that is produced by these systems will be used. Without net metering, much of the excess energy that is produced by these renewable systems would be wasted.
• Net metering customers tend to be more aware of their energy use, so they consume less electricity than most other customers.

Net metering benefits our utilities and customers, and can help stimulate our economy.

• Renewable electricity from net metering customers is fed into the grid and can be used to offset the large demand for energy during peak times, decreasing the need for utilities to burn more fossil fuels and lessening the likelihood of blackouts during peak demand hours.
• Laws that encourage net metering and distributed generation help create jobs by creating a market for the manufacturing and servicing of these small-scale renewable energy systems.