Energy Freedom Advocates Succeed in Protecting Access to Solar Throughout West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After months of advocacy from West Virginians and community groups, the Public Service Commision approved a settlement that will help protect the growth of solar in West Virginia. Last year, utilities Mon Power and Potomac Edison proposed substantially altering the state’s net metering system, reducing the credit that customers receive for generating and contributing excess solar power to the grid.  The Commission-approved settlement, which solar advocates helped negotiate, protects the rights of existing net metering customers, provides nine more months for new customers to enroll in net metering, and establishes a fair rate for customers who enroll in 2025 and future years.

Up to now, all West Virginia net metering customers have been credited at a 1-to-1 rate, meaning energy they provide to the grid is worth the same as energy bought from utilities. Before this case was filed, residential customers received 11.5 for every kilowatt-hour of energy they contributed to the grid. Mon Power and Potomac Edison initially proposed slashing this rate to nearly 6.6 cents per kilowatt-hour.

This attack on energy freedom sparked outrage among West Virginians statewide, including a coalition of representatives from members of West Virginians for Energy Freedom (WV4EF), including West Virginia Citizen Action Group, The West Virginia Environmental Council, Solar United Neighbors, Energy Efficient West Virginia, and Solar Holler. Energy freedom advocates signed petitions, attended public hearings, rallied at the State Capitol, and sent over 1,500 letters of protest to the Public Service Commission.  

Due largely to these grassroots efforts, the newly-signed settlement ensures existing net metering customers will keep their 1-to-1 credit rate for the next 25 years. Customers who apply to participate in net metering before the end of 2024 will also be guaranteed this rate—as long as they meet certain installation deadlines. Those who apply for interconnection after the end of 2024 will receive a rate of roughly 9.34 cents per kilowatt hour contributed, a rate that will be locked in for a two-year period before it can change. 

“When solar supporters join together, we win. Thanks to the activism of thousands of West Virginians, plus our tenacious legal team, solar will enjoy a promising future in our state,” said Leah Barbor, a founding member of WV4EF and West Virginia Program Director of Solar United Neighbors. “With the extension of 1-to-1 net metering credits through the end of the year, 2024 is a great time for homeowners to join the state’s rapidly growing solar industry, which is creating jobs, helping families build wealth, and increasing the reliability of our energy grid.”  

Regrettably, the Commission did not accept another settlement term that would prevent the net metering credit from changing by more than 10 percent from year to year. “We are disappointed that the rate stability term was not adopted,” said Barbor. “This term will make it harder for low- and middle-income West Virginians to go solar.” Parties in the case are evaluating potential next steps.

On the same day, the Public Service Commission approved three other settlements that were supported by several members of WV4EF. Those settlements included provisions that are also supportive of energy freedom. One of the settlements maintained funding of a program that helps low-income customers pay their bills, and establishes a program that will help low- and middle-income ratepayers access support to reduce energy burdens. Another settlement will help ensure that Mon Power’s power plants, whose costs are passed on to ratepayers, are operated more economically in future years.

“In addition to protecting solar, we’re pleased that the expensive FirstEnergy-owned power plants will be scrutinized to ensure they are run in a cost-effective way,” said Gary Zuckett, Executive Director of West Virginia Citizen Action, “and that low-income customers can avoid shutoffs with continued support from utility contributions to the Dollar Energy Fund.”

"Access to weatherization and efficiency programs is essential," stated Robin Blakeman, Executive Director of Energy Efficient West Virginia. “With the expansion of the Energy Assistance Outreach program and enhanced weatherization support, we're poised to significantly reduce energy usage for low-income West Virginians,” Blakeman continued.

These landmark settlements, enriched by the unwavering dedication of West Virginia's energy advocates and underscored by these strategic enhancements to energy assistance and efficiency programs, marks a significant step forward in ensuring a sustainable, equitable energy future for all West Virginians.

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Contact: Courtney MacDonald, 781-974-3137, courtney@energyfreedomwv.org

West Virginians for Energy Freedom is a coalition of neighbors, community organizations, local businesses, municipalities, and elected officials advocating for energy freedom in West Virginia.

FirstEnergy utilities, solar advocates reach net metering agreement in PSC case

By Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail

After months of division, solar energy advocates and FirstEnergy utilities have come to an agreement addressing a proposal the advocates said threatened to curtail future solar development in West Virginia and short-change utility customers.

Solar proponents and the utilities have asked the West Virginia Public Service Commission to approve their agreement to resolve a dispute over the future of net metering, a mechanism that credits customers for energy they generate.

The initial proposal from the utilities, Mon Power and Potomac Edison, drew intense opposition for a rate case before the PSC from throughout and beyond their service territory, as solar advocates rallied against what they viewed as an attack on their energy freedom.

The utilities, Mon Power and Potomac Edison, wanted to change the mechanism so that customer-produced solar energy would no longer be valued at the same rate charged for energy provided by the companies for new net metering enrollees starting March 27.

In net metering, a residential customer owns or leases and operates a renewable energy resource connected on their side of the utility meter. If the customer supplies more energy to Mon Power and Potomac Edison than they get in a billing period, the remainder has been banked by the companies and credited to the customers in future billing cycles when they produce less energy than needed from the utilities.

The result is customer-produced energy valued at the same rate charged for energy provided by the companies.

Opponents of the initial net metering plan proposed by Mon Power and Potomac Edison argued it would discourage customer investment in solar that lowers electricity costs, diversifies the state’s energy mix and benefits the environment.

FirstEnergy has said the proposal was appropriate to keep other customers from subsidizing net metering customers. A witness for the PSC’s Consumer Advocate Division, an independent arm of the PSC representing residential ratepayers, supported the utilities’ proposal, estimating residential net metering customers generated nearly $1.5 million in subsidies paid for by non-net metering residential customers from January 2019 through August 2023.

Mon Power and Potomac Edison wanted to credit a customer’s account at a wholesale market price approved annually in fuel cost rate proceedings, proposing a residential credit of roughly 6.6 cents per kilowatt-hour.

In their agreement that includes groups that opposed their original proposal — the West Virginia Citizen Action Group, Solar United Neighbors, Energy Efficient West Virginia and Jefferson County- based solar installer and developer Solar Holler LLC — the utilities agreed to propose a credit of roughly 9.3 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Per the agreement, customers who generate their own power that submit an online application or interconnection request form to the utilities by Dec. 31, 2024, and receive a completion certificate by Dec. 31, 2025 (for a residential customer), or by June 30, 2026 (for a nonresidential customer), will be credited at the retail rate for the metered energy they produce and deliver to the utility electric system.

If approved by the PSC, credit rates would remain unchanged for two years starting Jan. 1, 2025, with credit rates for calendar year 2027 to be determined in the utilities’ 2026 fuel cost rate case.

In an email Sunday, Solar Holler founder Dan Conant touted customers’ ability under the proposed agreement to go solar for almost another year at a “one-to-one” rate, credited equal to how much electricity they produce and deliver, plus another year to get their systems installed.

“While no compromise is perfect, we’re pleased with the outcome of this negotiation and hope the [PSC] will agree it’s in West Virginia’s best interest,” Conant said in a separate statement Friday.

FirstEnergy spokesperson Hannah Catlett said in a statement Friday the agreement would help ensure new net metering customers pay a portion of costs related to distribution, transmission and capacity facilities they use by adjusting the credit amount that new net energy metering customers receive.

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Poll: West Virginians support solar projects, policies

By Michael Lemley, The State Journal

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WV News) — A group of solar power industry representatives and other officials held a press conference Thursday to discuss results of a recent poll and bills that have been proposed in the West Virginia Legislature.

The poll, conducted by Echelon Insights in December, showed general support among West Virginians for various solar initiatives, including community solar programs and net metering.

“[Net metering] allows customers to get a dollar-for-dollar credit on their electric bill if their solar panels produce more energy than they use, creating additional electricity for the utility,” said Patrick Ruffini, co-founder and partner of Echelon Insights, who presented the data.

A majority of the survey’s respondents expressed support for net metering, with 40% strongly supporting and another 30% somewhat supporting.

The measure also saw bipartisan support, according to the survey data, with 60% support among Republicans, 74% among independent voters and 79% among Democrats, Ruffini said.

Survey results also showed general support for community solar programs, which allow residential customers to tap into power from nearby solar panels, with 69% in support (37% somewhat, 32% strongly).

Additionally, 78% of respondents said it would be a good idea for more West Virginians to own and benefit from their own solar panels, and 54% said they believe residential rooftop solar usage should be incentivized.

“No matter which way you slice it, West Virginians are strongly supportive of the concept of solar power, for residents and consumers to take advantage of solar panels and for policies that will help them do that and help them benefit from that,” Ruffini said.

Dan Conant, founder and CEO of Solar Holler — a business that works to help other businesses, nonprofits and families to implement solar power — said this survey data reflects the trends the company has seen over its 10-year history.

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Leave us alone': Solar advocates fight FirstEnergy net metering plan

By: Mike Tony, The State Journal

The resource curse doesn’t have to ensnare the sun.

That was the message passionately delivered by the founder and CEO of an outfit with Jefferson County roots that bills itself as “Appalachia’s solar company” during a rally at the West Virginia Capitol last weekend.

“We’ll build the next great American industry,” Dan Conant, of solar energy company Solar Holler, told a crowd of some 130 supporters Jan. 27. “And we’ll own it this time.”

But Conant said that would happen only after defeating a pending proposal from FirstEnergy utilities serving West Virginia that he and other advocates say would cut off growth of a solar industry sorely underdeveloped in West Virginia relative to the rest of the country.

Conant urged his audience to “tell FirstEnergy to leave us alone.”

The rally highlighted opposition to a plan by FirstEnergy utilities Mon Power and Potomac Edison to adjust a solar energy crediting mechanism called net metering. Solar advocates say the companies’ proposal pending before the Public Service Commission would discourage customer investment in solar.

Mon Power and Potomac Edison want to change the mechanism so that customer-produced solar energy would no longer be valued at the same rate charged for energy provided by the companies. Instead, Mon Power and Potomac Edison want to credit a customer’s account at a wholesale market price approved annually in fuel cost rate proceedings.

Through the mechanism, called net metering, a residential customer owns or leases and operates a renewable energy resource connected on their side of the utility meter. If the customer supplies more energy to Mon Power and Potomac Edison than they get in a billing period, the remainder has been banked by the companies and credited to the customers in future billing cycles when they produce less energy than needed from the utilities.

FirstEnergy has said the proposal filed in May is appropriate to keep other customers from subsidizing net metering customers.

But Conant sounded a note of alarm about the proposal to the PSC at an evidentiary hearing last week, saying his company had to shut down sales in FirstEnergy territory at the beginning of November amid uncertainty over the future of net metering.

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Charleston Gazette-Mail: Dozens at PSC hearing oppose FirstEnergy solar credit plan

By: Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail

Dozens of Mon Power and Potomac Edison customers and solar advocates from throughout West Virginia spoke out against the utilities’ plan to change how future customers are credited for the electricity they generate from solar power during a public hearing Monday.

Speakers at the West Virginia Public Service Commission’s public comment hearing Monday evening had to comment without seeing the contents of a proposed but not yet filed settlement in the case, PSC Chairman Charlotte Lane reported at the start of the hearing.

Lane said the proposed settlement would resolve all issues in the case — except the controversial solar energy crediting mechanism — and result in an increase of $9.94 per month to the average residential customer bill for 1,000 kilowatt-hours, from $123.50 to $133.44.

Filed Tuesday, the proposed settlement would result in a 6.4% hike over existing rates and an overall increase of $105 million for the FirstEnergy-controlled utilities, which originally proposed a $207 million, 13% rate increase for their 550,000 customers across 40 West Virginia counties.

Agreeing to the proposed settlement with the utilities were:

• PSC staff.

• The PSC’s Consumer Advocate Division, representing residential ratepayers.

• The West Virginia Energy Users Group, representing large industrial users.

• Longview Power LLC.

• West Virginia Citizen Action Group, Solar United Neighbors and Energy Efficient West Virginia (together as one party).

Most of Monday evening’s speakers blasted the solar energy crediting mechanism, known as net metering, arguing it would discourage customer investment in solar that lowers electricity costs, diversifies the state’s energy mix and benefits the environment.

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WV residents pay too much for a losing strategy

By Robert Maslowski, The Herald-Dispatch

Electric rates are going up for West Virginians. Our utilities are doing nothing to stop it. Instead, they’re doubling down on the same choices that got us into this. They’re taking away opportunities for West Virginians to avoid these rate increases. And they’re asking for yet another increase out of the pockets of hardworking families.

Out-of-state utility FirstEnergy runs Mon Power and Potomac Edison. FirstEnergy is asking the West Virginia Public Service Commission to increase its rates — again. Statewide, electric rates have more than doubled in the last 18 years. West Virginians have faced higher rate increases than any other state in the country.

That would be bad on its own, but FirstEnergy isn’t stopping there. They have also asked the Public Service Commission to reduce the value of solar energy. Solar is one of the only ways West Virginians can avoid these rate increases and take control of their own power costs. They want to make sure West Virginians can’t go solar anymore.

What’s going on here? FirstEnergy, like AEP, the other out-of-state utility that operates in West Virginia, is investing in a losing strategy. While utilities across the country have invested in multiple sources of energy, FirstEnergy and AEP have put all of their eggs in one basket. West Virginia gets 91% of its electricity from coal-fired power plants. These coal plants are getting older. Many of them are nearing retirement age. That makes them more expensive to maintain and run. But FirstEnergy and AEP don’t care, because they can pass the costs on to their customers — all of us.

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