W.Va governor vetoes net metering bill

February 26, 2015 | By Jaclyn Brandt

Just days after advocates came out fighting against a net metering bill that was passed by the West Virginia House and Senate, Governor Earl Ray Tamblin has vetoed the bill.

West Virginia. Credit: U.S. Census/Wikimedia Commons

House Bill (HB) 2201 provided a definition for net metering, but advocates said the real reason for it was to eliminate solar leasing in the state -- making solar more difficult for those with lower incomes to obtain.

"Due to a number of technical issues in the bill, I am unable to sign House Bill 2201 into law," Gov. Tomblin said. "I encourage the Legislature to re-examine this piece of legislation and correct the technical issues outlined in my veto message. I look forward to reviewing its changes in final form."

HB 2201 would require the W.Va Public Service Commission to set new rules for net metering. The bill was approved by the House and Senate, and approved by the House again after the Senate made some changes. It was sent to Gov. Tomblin's desk on Feb. 18.

Earlier in February, the governor signed a bill to repeal W.Va's six-year-old Alternative Renewable Energy Portfolio Act. The act required renewable energy targets for energy producers to meet -- requiring 25 percent renewable and alternative energy sources for producers with more than 30,000 customers by 2025.

Although advocates were not happy with the repeal, net metering was spared during that round. Advocates said that changing the definition of net metering would continue to slow down the growth of renewable energy in the state.

"We applaud Gov. Tomblin for doing the right thing," said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), in a statement. "This bill was fatally flawed. Did it end up that way for political reasons? Or was it a case of sloppy drafting? Whichever the case, Gov. Tomblin did the right thing by vetoing the bill and sending it back to the drawing board."

For more:
- see the bill

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/wva-governor-vetoes-net-metering-bill/2015-02-26