Dive Brief:
- Net metering will remain in Kansas after an effort backed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to eliminate it failed.
- An amendment eliminating net metering did not make it onto a bill that passed the Kansas Legislature. The bill, which awaits the Governor's signature, states that utilities must instead change rates through rate cases.
- The state's three utilities -- Westar, KCP&L, and Empire -- supported the effort to do away with net metering.
Dive Insight:
ALEC, a group that connects business interests with state legislators, is busy trying to eliminate net metering in states across the country in 2014. That's on top of efforts to eliminate energy efficiency mandates and renewable portfolio standards. ALEC has not been very successful so far. The solar industry claims it has yet to lose a single statewide net metering fight against utilities (we'll count Arizona as a tie).