Do you have any examples of someone arguing that net metering is even close to correct for any purpose besides political acceptability? It seems obvious that a move to demand billing (with rates that change every minute), and a legible spread for consume/provide rates is much closer to tracking real costs and values. But that doesn’t get anyone elected.
The other side here is “people made long-term plans like buying panels under the assumption that net metering would continue for at least the lifetime of the system, and it would be wrong to take it away from them” and not “net metering is the best way to subsidize solar installation”.
Sure. My point was more along the lines of “fixed price throughout the day has been known to be silly for decades—what’s different now that would make power districts move to a more complicated and rational system”?
Most large-market subsidies are inefficient and imperfect—they’re always a political compromise.
Do you have any examples of someone arguing that net metering is even close to correct for any purpose besides political acceptability? It seems obvious that a move to demand billing (with rates that change every minute), and a legible spread for consume/provide rates is much closer to tracking real costs and values. But that doesn’t get anyone elected.
The other side here is “people made long-term plans like buying panels under the assumption that net metering would continue for at least the lifetime of the system, and it would be wrong to take it away from them” and not “net metering is the best way to subsidize solar installation”.
Sure. My point was more along the lines of “fixed price throughout the day has been known to be silly for decades—what’s different now that would make power districts move to a more complicated and rational system”?
Most large-market subsidies are inefficient and imperfect—they’re always a political compromise.