[SMM PV News] California Court Upholds NEM 3.0

Published: Mar 11, 2026 16:56

Save

The California 1st District Court of Appeal has affirmed the CPUC's Net Billing Tariff (NEM 3.0), rejecting a lawsuit from environmental and solar advocates. The ruling upholds the 2022 decision that slashed rooftop solar export credits by up to 80% to address the 'cost shift' between solar and non-solar ratepayers. Despite industry data showing a 60% to 80% drop in sales and the loss of over 17,000 jobs since NEM 3.0 took effect, the court concluded that the CPUC met statutory requirements for 'sustainable growth'. This decision effectively ends the standalone solar business model in California, making battery storage integration essential for homeowners to achieve a viable return on investment.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

14 hours ago

Silver Market Price Review and Expectations Brief Commentary (April 16, 2026) [SMM Silver Market Weekly Review]

14 hours ago

16 hours ago

Spot Market and China Inventory Brief Review (April 16, 2026) [SMM Silver Market Weekly Review]

The premium in the silver ingot market continued to decline this week, consumption remained weak, and social inventory of silver ingots increased significantly as suppliers shipped to delivery warehouses and relocated inventory.

16 hours ago

19 hours ago

[SMM PV News] RWE Scraps 99.9 MW Solar-plus-Storage Project in Wales Over Grid Constraints

RWE has withdrawn its 99.9 MW Butterfly (Glöyn Byw) solar-plus-storage project in Wales after determining that grid connection delays made the scheme unviable. Despite exploring alternative routes through 2025, the developer cited severe congestion in the UK's grid queue—where some projects face wait times into the mid-2030s—as the decisive factor. The cancellation underscores how grid bottlenecks are now dictating early-stage project viability across the UK. However, RWE maintained that solar and storage remain central to its strategy, with the group still planning €35 billion in global investments by 2030 to expand its flexible capacity and storage portfolio.

19 hours ago