In a Jan. 5 article that mentioned Maine’s renewable-energy standard, the author states that “[o]ther Maine policies supported by ratepayers include those that … pay small, solar-electric generators for surplus power they return to the grid.”

The only policy Maine has to support small solar-electric generators is its net metering policy, which credits system owners for a portion of the energy they produce. At times this may be the full retail rate; at other times this may be as low as one-third of the full retail rate. These generators are never “paid” and donate any excess power they generate in a 12-month period.

Numerous states have found that net-metering policies are not subsidized by ratepayers. Instead, solar owners subsidize ratepayers because their systems produce electricity during the times that electricity is most expensive, and they help avoid other costs, such as transmission upgrades and increased generation.

A recent study in the state of Vermont found that the solar programs in that state benefit all ratepayers and shift costs to ratepayers outside of their state. Maine is the only state in the region that has not shown strong support for the growth of its solar industry.

That leaves a significant question for policymakers in Augusta.

If net metering does indeed shift costs to out-of-state ratepayers and all of the other states in the network are making concentrated efforts to increase their solar capacity, what is the cost to Maine ratepayers of failing to implement a competitive solar policy?

Vaughan Woodruff, Pittsfield

Owner, Insource Renewables