WASHINGTON, D.C. - After the formal adoption of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) manual, Distributed Energy Resources Rate Design and Compensation, the solar industry and advocates released the following responses:

Sean Gallagher, vice president of state affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA):

“It’s no secret, distributed energy is proliferating in America and in this new energy paradigm having well thought-out guidance and regulations in place is critical to maintaining that forward momentum. The NARUC Board of Directors adopted a manual that was significantly improved due to their willingness to be open to input from stakeholders and we expect that process to continue as new data becomes available that may warrant revisions and updates to the manual.

“Time and again, state public utility commissions and independent researchers have found that distributed solar provides a net benefit to all consumers and we’re happy to see this more adequately and accurately represented in the final version of this manual. Rate design is not a simple task and it has far-reaching impacts. The manual recognizes that hard data and evidence is needed before imposing new rate structures on customers, and that imposing class-wide rate design changes when DER penetration rates are low ‘would most likely be a disproportional response.’

“This manual was a huge undertaking and we applaud the NARUC staff for their due diligence and the effort that went into this work product. SEIA looks forward to working with NARUC and the individual state commissions to move beyond utility responses that see DERs as a problem to be solved, and into a sustainable future that utilizes careful planning to unlock the full value of DERs.”

Rick Gilliam, DG Regulatory Policy Program Director for Vote Solar:

"The manual contains a helpful balance between long and short term views, an open and more collaborative regulatory process, and a more expansive view of distributed energy resources, which actually include a broad and exciting range of clean technologies that can be deployed to add stability, control and reliability to the electric grid.

"We are especially pleased to see the manual acknowledge the economic opportunities that solar and other distributed energy resources can bring to all customers if managed properly by the regulators and look forward to working with state leaders across the country to achieve that promise."

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About SEIA®:

Celebrating its 42nd anniversary in 2016, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA® is building a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to champion the use of clean, affordable solar in America by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org.

About Vote Solar:

Vote Solar is a non-profit organization working to combat climate change and foster economic development by bringing solar energy into the mainstream nationwide. www.votesolar.org

Media Contacts:

Alex Hobson, SEIA Senior Communications Manager, [email protected] (202) 556-2886

Zadie Oleksiw, Vote Solar Communications Manager, [email protected] (202) 836-5754