The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) voted 4-1 in early December to reject Ameren Illinois’ proposed calculation of the number of solar net-metering customers in its territory. The vote resulted in the reopening of full retail net metering in its service territory, a decision that will allow new solar customers to participate in the net metering program, a widely used solar compensation system.
Net metering (also known as net energy metering or NEM) is a solar incentive that allows you to store energy in the electric grid. When your solar panels produce more electricity than you need, that energy is sent to the grid in exchange for credits. For example, if a residential customer has a PV system on their roof, it may generate more electricity than the home uses during daylight hours. If the home is...