The Valley Clean Energy board of directors has adopted a policy governing how legacy solar customers — those who installed solar systems prior to VCE’s launch in June 2018 — are enrolled with the local electricity service provider.
“We’re thrilled to begin enrolling solar customers, also known as Net Energy Metered customers, beginning in January,” said Tom Stallard, VCE board chair and a member of the Woodland City Council.
“Solar customers have already demonstrated a financial commitment to renewable energy, and it will be great to have them in the fold, helping all of us take a big leap toward a more sustainable future for our communities.”
Beginning in January and continuing through December 2020, PG&E solar customers will be automatically enrolled in VCE service during their existing PG&E true-up month. As with all VCE customers, these solar customers will have the choice to opt out and stay with PG&E.
Annual true-ups for solar customers require VCE to “float” funds for a year, Stallard explained, resulting in early cash-flow concerns that guided the original decision to postpone NEM customer enrollment. With that issue no longer a concern, the board was able to adopt the updated policy at its October meeting.
The new policy provides that residential and business NEM customers with solar systems installed prior to June 2018 will be enrolled in VCE and placed on their existing PG&E billing cycle, either annual or monthly. VCE also offers some flexibility, allowing NEM customers to choose either monthly or annual billing cycles.
Additionally, customers who generate excess energy each month will receive an extra 1 cent per kilowatt hour credit, which is higher than that offered by PG&E, said Mitch Sears, VCE’s interim general manager.
“This new policy streamlines enrollments, simplifies our NEM policy, and is easier to implement from a billing perspective,” said Gary Sandy, a VCE board member and member of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.
Details about VCE’s new NEM policy are available at ValleyCleanEnergy.org/energy-choices/pge-nem-solar/.
For more information about customer enrollment, visit www.valleycleanenergy.org or call 855-699-8232.
VCE’s service area includes the cities of Woodland and Davis as well as the unincorporated area of Yolo County. The city of Winters is in the process of joining the local electricity provider.
About VCE: Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit public agency formed to provide electrical generation service to customers in Woodland, Davis, and the unincorporated areas of Yolo County. Our mission is to source cost-competitive clean electricity while providing product choice, price stability, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emission reductions and reinvestment in the communities we serve.
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