Image: Trina Solar Three Californian utilities have proposed changes in order to “modernise” the US state’s net metering policy, prompting a backlash from solar campaigners. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE) brought forward a joint proposal on Monday (15 March) that would add monthly customer service and maintenance costs to California’s current net metering system for new adopters of residential solar systems. The Proposal The state’s existing program, NEM 2.0, allows solar power owners to save credits they are entitled to from excess energy over the course of the year. However, the utilities have put forward a successor to the current scheme, which will apply to new solar customers from November 2021. The new proposal, NEM 3.0, would see customers balancing their accounts each month.