NV Energy, solar installers to pursue extended deadline for grandfathered net-metering rates

Matt Neifeld,left, and Jacy Sparkman with Robco Electric installs solar panels at a home in northwest Las Vegas on Friday March 13, 2015. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

CARSON CITY — NV Energy and rooftop solar installation companies agreed Tuesday to ask state utility regulators to allow eligible customers additional time to opt-in to grandfathered net metering rules and rates.

If approved as filed with the Public Utilities Commisison, the new deadline for eligible customers to request grandfathered net metering rates will be July 1.

The mutual agreement includes SolarCity, Sunrun and other installers and is viewed as a way to meet the interests of customers while simultaneously advancing residential solar generation in Nevada.

Last year the PUC grandfathered in rooftop solar customers who had installed a residential solar system or had an active and approved application pending prior to December 31, 2015, under the original, more favorable net metering rates.

The more than 23,000 customers who already had an installed systems were automatically grandfathered in to the net metering rates for 20 years. The remaining nearly 8,000 customers were required to opt-in by notifying NV Energy by Feb. 28.

As of that deadline, less than 30 percent of these customers had opted into the grandfathered rates. The parties are optimistic that with additional time, more eligible customers will elect to opt into the program at grandfathered rates.

An expedited decision by the PUC has been requested.

Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3820. Follow @seanw801 on Twitter.