Massachusetts Passes Stopgap Net Metering Legislation

On April 11, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law compromise legislation modestly raising the cap on the state's net metering program. Net metering allows customers to generate solar power to offset electricity costs and provide surplus power to the grid.

The program was previously limited to 4 percent of peak electricity demand for private projects and 5 percent for public projects. These limits were reached in National Grid's service territory last March, stalling solar development and prompting a flurry of legislative activity. Monday's law is a culmination of those efforts, but because it raises the caps by only 3 percent, the legislature will likely need to revisit the issue within a year.