STATEHOUSE (March 16, 2010) - State Sen. Jim Merritt said today he’s asked Gov. Mitch Daniels to do what lawmakers ultimately could not during the recently concluded legislative session - push for progress on the issue of net metering.

Net metering would provide homeowners, schools and businesses greater financial incentives to produce their own renewable energy and allow them to sell any excess electricity back to the utilities.

Legislation authored by Merritt (R-Indianapolis) to broaden both the customer class and type of renewable generation eligible for net metering failed in the final days of the 2010 session when Senate and House negotiators couldn’t agree on a final conference committee report. But Merritt emphasized in a letter to Gov. Mitch Daniels that the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission doesn’t need a new law to begin updating Indiana’s restrictive net metering regulations.

“The IURC currently has the authority to declare net metering rules without legislative guidance or mandate,” Merritt today wrote to Daniels. “In fact, the IURC currently has effective net metering administrative rules in place for residential and K-12 schools.”

Merritt said he’s asked the governor to request IURC officials begin rulemaking activities and believes the initial conference committee report produced by Senate negotiators “is a reasonable template” for the agency’s work.

“My proposals broaden both the customer class and type of renewable generation eligible for net metering while maintaining the necessary cost-benefit balance for all electricity customers whether they engage in net metering generation or not,” Merritt said. “I hope the governor will take action to improve Indiana’s policies on this important issue.”