NET Metering Facts

Net Energy Metering (NEM, also known simply as net metering) is the single most important policy enabling customer ownership of solar on fair terms. Net Metering is currently a fair deal for all Iowans, a kW for a kW.  The utilities claim that net metering is unfair because solar owners buy less energy, don’t pay their share of infrastructure costs, and are thus “cross-subsidized” by non-solar owners. We say hogwash – and suspect the hundreds of Iowa pork producers with solar would agree.Solar owners also contribute significant value to the grid, utility, and other customers through the timing, location, and other aspects of their generation. States that have researched this true “value of solar” find that it more than compensates for minimal lost infrastructure revenue. Take a look at Minnesota’s Value of Solar Study.

HSB 185 and SSB 1201 are bills introduced in the 2019 Iowa legislature to overturn this critical policy.

This legislation is a blatant attempt by MidAmerican Energy and Alliant Energy to monopolize the sun, place a “sunshine tax” on Iowan’s that attempt to own their energy production, and stomp out the steadily growing and truly massive “energy prosperity” opportunity of job and wealth creation for every Iowa community and county. Wealth retained by Iowa farmers, businesses, homeowners, institutions, communities, and counties is lost wealth for monopoly utilities, their executives, and out-of-state investors, plain and simple.

We encourage everyone to contact their legislator and ask them for a clear statement in opposition to these anti-net metering bills.

Learn more about the net metering, and this legislation

The Iowa Environmental Council’s fact sheet page includes a wealth of information. Scroll down to “solar fact sheets” on that page, and most relevant items are the Sunshine Tax Talking Points and the Solar Energy Fact Sheet.