SB 489 (Wolk, 2011-12) - Net Energy Metering

Summary. 
SB 489 will foster the development of anaerobic digesters and other small
renewable energy projects by allowing them to be included in the state's
Net Energy Metering program.

Position and Status.
CAW Supports.

SB 489 was signed by the Governor.

Description.

From the California Climate & Agriculture Network:

By proposing to allow all qualified renewable energy types under the Net Energy Metering (NEM) Program, SB 489 will help the state reach its distributed generation, renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions goals, while spurring economic development.

By allowing participation in NEM, SB 489 will allow agricultural businesses to more easily and economically convert their agricultural byproducts into clean, renewable energy and to off-set their electricity use. Moreover, SB 489 will help reduce the need for new fossil fuel power plants and transmission infrastructure.

As the country’s largest agricultural state, California has significant opportunities to develop innovative, small-scale bio-energy and other renewable energy projects, but policy barriers have limited these innovations.

The current NEM program is only open to wind, solar and fuel cell generators. Only those generators can take advantage of the program’s streamlined approached to getting renewable energy on-line quickly. Connecting all other forms of clean renewable energy to the electric grid requires going through the longer, more arduous, and very expensive Feed-In-Tariff process. Small-scale renewable energy projects that have attempted to qualify under FIT have taken months and even years to connect to the grid, severely curtailing distributed generation in the state.

 

CAW Staff Contacts.
Nick Lapis (916) 443-5422

Senator Lois Wolk
State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814

Supporters.
Californians Against Waste
Agricola
Agricultural Council of California
Agricultural Energy Consumers Association
Almond Hullers & Processors Association
American Farmland Trust
California Clean Energy Fund
California Climate and Agriculture Network (Sponsor)
California Compost Coalition
California Farm Bureau Federation
California Grain & Feed Association
California Public Utilities Commission
California Refuse Recycling Council
California Rice Commission
California Seed Association
California Warehouse Association
Californians Against Waste
Capstone Turbine Corporation
CCOF
Center for Land Based Learning
Clean World Partners
Clover Flat Landfill
Community Alliance with Family Farmers
Dixon Ridge Farms
Earthbound Farm
Ecological Farming Association
Environmental Defense Fund
First Northern Bank
Food & Water Watch
Full Belly Farm
Hedgerow Farms
Inland Empire Utilities Agency
Intermountain Disposal
Lagier Ranches
Morris Grassfed Beef
National Center for Appropriate Technology
Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
Pacific Egg and Poultry Association 
Pacific Institute
Peña's Disposal Company
Phippen Bros.
Planning and Conservation League
Ridge Vineyards
Rominger Brothers Farms
Roots of Change
SAGE
Sierra Orchards
Soil Born Farms
Solano County Second District Supervisor Linda J. Seifert
Sustainable Agriculture Education
Sustainable Conservation
Swanton Berry Farm
Synergex International Corporation
Travaille and Phippen
Valley Fig Growers
Yolo County Board of Supervisors