Nevada Gov. Sandoval Signs Bill To Reinstate Rooftop Solar/Net Metering

Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval on Thursday signed a bill to reinstate a key rooftop solar policy and bring national residential installers Tesla Inc's solar division and Sunrun Inc back to the state after an 18-month absence.

Last week, state legislators passed the bill, which requires utilities to purchase excess power generated from rooftop solar panels at near the full retail rate. Known as net metering, the buy-back policy is critical to making residential solar affordable. Both Tesla and Sunrun said they would resume sales in Nevada if Sandoval signed the bill. He did so on Thursday during a ceremony held at a Tesla facility in Las Vegas.

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Nevada scrapped its previous net metering policy at the end of 2015, prompting Tesla unit SolarCity and Sunrun to abandon what was at the time a major solar market. The move, which led to a 32 percent decline in solar installation jobs in the state last year, was broadly unpopular with Nevada residents.

Opponents of net metering argue that forcing utilities to pay high rates for rooftop solar in effect means that customers who do not have solar panels subsidize those who do.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-solar-nevada-idUSKBN1962IZ