The Mississippi Public Service Commission recently passed distributed generation or net metering rules, offering a financial incentive to people who install solar panels at their homes and meet certain criteria. Because Singing River Electric’s rates are regulated by its members through the board of directors, the PSC distributed generation rules do not apply to SRE.
To incentivize solar panels and other types of distributed generation, SRE would have to raise rates for all members, even the elderly and those on fixed incomes. The costs associated with providing a rebate or incentive to members who install solar panels (distributed generation) would be unfairly paid by all members, even those who choose not to install solar.
Distributed generation allows SRE members to choose to own/install solar panels and when possible, sell the excess electricity back to Cooperative Energy, SRE’s wholesale power provider. Cooperative Energy pays distributed generation/solar owners the value of the electricity to ensure the owners are fairly compensated.
SRE has long supported connecting distributed generation (solar) to the electric grid and participates in Cooperative Energy solar commissionings at member homes. SRE currently has 115 members with distributed generation (solar) with more in progress.
For more information on rooftop solar panels, visit singingriver.com/solar-energy.
