The bad news is that our Clallam County PUD Board of Commissioners has implemented a change in their definition of net metering.
If you submitted an application to PUD on or before Feb. 1, 2018, for a solar photovoltaic system, you will be under the old definition.
That would simply involve the installation of a meter that would run at parity (you buy and sell at the same price).
All applications after that date will be treated on a dollar basis.
This new definition of net-metering would create a dollar charge of just under $0.08 per kilowatt hour purchased but would only pay back to the producer at just under $0.04 per kwh put into the grid system.
The explanation we are hearing now is that it is unfair to the 30,000 rate payers in Clallam County to pay 200 local solar producers the higher rate while they are currently paying a wholesale rate of $0.0385 to hydroelectric, nuclear, natural gas and coal producers.
I personally believe this is a step backwards and will discourage clean, locally produced energy at a time when our carbon footprint is having a major influence on a rapidly changing climate.
Your voice can be heard every Monday before the board of commissioners at 1:30 p.m. or by contacting your commissioner directly.
PUD has contact information at clallampud.net.
Richard DeBusman,
Sequim