Governor Baker Signs Controversial Solar Legislation

On Monday, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a solar energy bill into law that increases the statewide limits on the amount of solar capacity that will qualify for net metering, but also lowers the value of net metering credits for large-scale projects. The bill, which was recommended last week by a joint legislative committee formed to reconcile differences between the separate House and Senate proposals, is the culmination of five months of negotiations between the chambers. The controversial bill passed the House and Senate last week by large majorities. For more on this legislation and what it means for solar energy development in Massachusetts, read on!

The legislation increases the net metering cap for private customers from 4% to 7% of the electric distribution company's (EDC) peak load and for government customers from 5% to 8%. This is an important development for the Massachusetts solar community as existing limits on net metering were reached in