Senator Fuschillo Votes to Help Schools, Municipalities, and Businesses Reduce Their Overall Energy Costs

Legislation Would Ensure Schools, Municipalities, and Businesses Can Take Full Advantage of Net Metering Cost Savings

            Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) recently voted in favor of legislation to enable school districts, local governments, and businesses to take full advantage of cost savings realized through net metering. The legislation was approved by the New York State Senate. 

            “Renewable energy sources are becoming more and more common because they help save power and save money. School districts, local governments, and businesses that installed these systems should be able to take full advantage of the financial benefits renewable energy provides. Allowing them to utilize net metering to reduce their overall energy costs will help produce additional savings for their taxpayers and customers,” said Senator Fuschillo, a member of the Senate’s Energy and Telecommunications Committee. 

            The state’s net metering law enables customers with alternative energy systems to receive credits from their utility provider for any excess energy they generate. However, the net metering credits can only be applied to the meter where the actual solar or wind technology is located. This prevents school districts and local governments, who often have more than one building, from using these credits to reduce their overall energy costs. 

            The legislation (S3407A) would allow school districts, local governments, and businesses to reap the full benefits of alternative energy technology by applying the savings over all their meters. This would help them reduce their total energy costs and provide additional savings for taxpayers and customers. 

            The legislation has also been approved by the State Assembly and will be sent to Governor Cuomo for consideration. 

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