by John McClaughry
Did you ever zero in on what preferential net metering for solar and wind installations does to everybody else’s power bill?
In Vermont, “net metering” means if you install a solar photovoltaic panel or a small wind system , when you don’t need the power it produces you can run your surplus power back into the grid. That runs your meter backward, and if done enough, will reduce your utility power usage to and even below zero. Sounds good – but who’s paying for all the poles and wires and repairs and billing? Not you – somebody else. Justin Sykes of Reason.com summarizes it this way:
“State renewable-energy policies, such as those encouraging solar use [as in Vermont], are creating a kind of “energy inequality”, one that benefits wealthier Americans at the expense of the poor. While solar power itself may be a good thing, government-sponsored sweetheart deals for the solar industry—like “net-metering,” for example—are increasing energy costs for low-income households across America… By fostering a system whereby a large portion of low-income Americans are forced to pay more to subsidize the energy use of high-income individuals, regressive net-metering policies are contributing to a widening of America’s income gap and a cloudy future for U.S. energy policy.”
This is just another example how the renewable energy lobby’s urge to subsidize anything defined as “green” socks it to other people, who don’t know why their power bills are higher.
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Just one more example of unintended consequence of “it’s too good to be true”. When the government puts money on the table all the shysters come out of the woodwork.