04/20/2026
PUBLIC COMMENT REQUEST!!!
Dear Acorn Co-op Members and Solar Project participants:
I have reproduced below an email from Peter Stirling, the president of Renewable Energy Vermont, the trade association for solar installers in the state. In summary, he writes to warn that the Vermont Department of Public Service is, for the first time, recommending a net metering per-KWh solar credit rate BELOW the statewide blended average. Until now, the state-wide blended average rate (effectively, because of its size, GMP's rate) has been the basis for all net metering credits generated by net metered solar arrays in Vermont.
If the Public Utilities Commission adopts the DPS recommendation, this will have a direct effect on the amount of credit that net metered ratepayers earn from their solar investments -- including the members of the net metered solar projects that Acorn manages. For our project participants (AES2, AES3), you will receive a smaller amount of bill credits every month than you originally projected when you made your investment.
I recommend that you make a comment regarding this policy with the Public Utility Commission at the link provided by Peter in his email below. More than that, if this is a matter of concern, I recommend that you immediately contact your state representatives and let them know what you think about this proposed change.
Ben Marks
President
Acorn Renewable Energy Co-op
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On April 1st the Department of Public Service released its recommendations to the Public Utility Commission for an update of Net Metering rates
PSD’s preferred solution includes cutting the compensation received for the 20,000 people currently net metering including massive cuts to the virtual net metering for schools, municipalities, people in community solar, etc.
REV estimates this could cost a school or municipality with an offsite 500kW system $30,000 in lost revenue and a typical homeowner $386 between now and 2028.
PSD’s alternate recommendation calls for basically the status quo for new net metering which is to say it remains unaffordable for the vast majority of Vermonters now that the Trump Administration and Congress have eliminated the 30% federal tax credit for owning your own solar.
Both of the options presented by Governor Scott’s Public Service Department make it more expensive to put solar on your roof, backyard or over a driveway or parking lot and fail to help Vermonters impacted by Trump’s recent elimination of the federal tax credits for home solar.
Governor Scott’s proposal to cut net metering compensation will:
· Increase property taxes in the school districts that net meter solar
· Raise the electric bill of the approximately 20,000 homeowners and businesses who net meter
· Threaten good paying jobs in the solar sector throughout Vermont
· Make it even more unaffordable to put solar on your roof, in your backyard or a parking lot
· Threaten the financial viability of Vermont’s community solar and virtual net metering arrays
You can submit a comment via to:
[email protected] until May 1st.
Peter Sterling (he/him)
Renewable Energy Vermont | Executive Director
802-595-5373 | [email protected]
