Homeowners in California that use solar can't sell their excess energy back to the local utility. San Diego County supervisors say residential solar users should be able to reap the benefits of their investment. KPBS Environmental Reporter Ed Joyce has details.
County Supervisor Dianne Jacob and the other supervisors want a new state law that will allow residential solar users to sell their excess power at a fair market price.
Under current rules, if a homeowner generates more solar energy than they use, the excess is carried forward on the customer's bill for 12 months.
Any yearly surplus goes to the utility.
Jacob says homeowners should be able to get a return on their investment rather than the utility getting surplus energy at no cost....which it then resells.
She says if solar homeowners could sell that power it would encourage more people to go solar.
Jacob says Colorado and many other states compensate residential solar customers for surplus power.
Legislation that would have offered similar benefits to California ratepayers failed in the last legislative session.
Similar legislation is expected to be reintroduced next year.
Ed Joyce, KPBS News.