The administration of Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin and a state lawmaker say they want to make it easier for utility customers to get credit for extra electricity they produce from small-scale renewable energy projects.
The existing net metering program caps the amount of power that can be sold back to utilities at 4 percent of peak demand for each utility. But all Vermont electric utilities except Green Mountain Power have reached the 4 percent cap.
Darren Springer of the Department of Public Service says that when Shumlin took office in 2011, small projects generated about 12 megawatts. Now there are more than 38 megawatts from installed or pending systems, such as home solar.
Springer tells the Rutland Herald the details of any expansion proposal aren't firm yet.
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