Net Metering

• By developing more diverse sources of power generation, net metering increases our entire nation’s energy security and energy independence. In his recent State of the Union address, President George Bush mentioned these criteria as the drivers for his own energy initiatives.
• Effective net metering policies spur economic development. By opening up markets for manufacturers and installers of renewable energy, net metering creates new jobs. According to the American Solar Energy Society, the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries “already generate 8.5 million jobs in the U.S., and with appropriate public policy, could grow to as many as 40 million jobs by 2030.”
  
• In addition, states with policies that encourage the use of renewable energy attract businesses to relocate and bring jobs to their state. As we have recently seen, Colorado, whose net metering standards are widely acknowledged as some of the most effective in the nation, also recently attracted the Vestas wind turbine manufacturing plant which brought the state 400 new jobs.
• Ideally, net metering also offers access to renewable energy for middle-income consumers who cannot afford the expense of an off-grid system that depends on expensive batteries.
• Last, net metering allows homeowners, small businesses, and especially farmers and ranchers to offset their dependence on the grid by installing renewable energy. In areas with higher electricity prices, this capacity is especially valuable.