SaskPower shuts off net metering program due to overwhelming demand
[ https://globalnews.ca/news/5926492/sask ... 5iFZnwHjSs ]
September 20, 2019
SaskPower is switching off a program that reduces the cost to homeowners who install solar panels on their roofs.
The Crown corporation has closed the application to join the net metering program, which has reached its 16-megawatt cap.
The program offered rebates for solar panel installations and credits for surplus power.
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SaskPower is reviewing the net metering program to make sure it’s financially sustainable. Until then, all prospective solar customers can do is wait for what’s next.
“Existing customers tied to the grid won’t be affected, but we’ve got hundreds and hundreds of people that are in different stages of the process that won’t qualify anymore,” said Catellier.
“We’ve got a province that is touting a made-in-Saskatchewan climate plan, we’re saying ‘we can do it on our own here,’ and here we’ve got an entire solar industry — 57 companies — that by springtime, many will be out of business.”
The NDP has put forward its own plan to expand renewable energy sources.
The Renew Saskatchewan plan offers loans so solar panels can be installed to buildings and government would collect back the loan over time through the customer’s power bill.