Indiana General Assembly

Indiana House of Representatives

200 West Washington Street

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

Dear Representative,

On behalf of the 35,698 members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste in the state of Indiana, I urge you to support SB 309, regarding the impact of net metering programs shifting costs from distributed generation electricity customers to those who do not have distributed generation.

Since the implementation of net metering programs, there has been an uneven playing field between wealthy solar customers being subsidized by lower-income homeowners and renters that rely on conventional forms of electricity.  Solar customers are able to significantly reduce their electricity bills with the current net metering credits, while also paying less back into the system for the grid’s maintenance.  Recognizing the unfairness of this situation, SB 309 phases out the current net metering program and replaces it with a modernized program that will minimize the burden for non-solar customers with higher energy costs.

In addition, SB 309 provides a stay on the current net metering tariff structure in the short term, which will allow new and existing solar customers to receive the full retail tariff until the phase out is complete.  However, if a utility does not believe that this rate sufficiently covers grid costs, it may petition the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission in order to request a change. This check and balance provides certainty to the grid’s use, and maintenance will be fairly paid by all energy consumers.

It is imperative that net metering policies in Indiana be updated so that everyone who utilizes the grid helps support the maintenance and investment in the grid.  SB 309 will help move Indiana towards a more equitable net metering program that is fair for all electricity consumers. 

On behalf of Indiana consumers and taxpayers, I urge you to support SB 309.

Sincerely,

Tom Schatz

President, CCAGW