- 17 Democratic AGs, led by Massachusetts AG Maura Healey, filed a protest with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) opposing the New England Ratepayers Association’s (“NERA”) petition to end state net metering programs, which allow consumers to lower their retail electricity bills by offsetting their electricity usage with renewable electricity production such as rooftop solar panels.
- The AGs’ protest argues that approval of NERA’s petition would overturn decades-old precedent recognizing state authority to implement net metering programs, undermine states’ clean energy programs and emission reduction goals, result in higher energy costs for consumers, and put thousands of jobs at risk.
- In addition, a bipartisan group of 31 AGs, also led by AG Healey, sent a letter to FERC urging the commission to deny NERA’s petition and to reaffirm states’ authority to regulate net metering, arguing, among other things, that NERA’s petition is procedurally flawed because it seeks a decision on an issue for which there is no live controversy or uncertainty, and that NERA presents no credible support for its position that FERC should overturn state jurisdiction of net metering programs.