Assembly Bill 327 has passed both houses of the California legislature and now awaits Governor Jerry Brown’s signature. The landmark legislation will make changes to California’s solar energy policy that should make it easier for residents to take advantage of net metering and switch to renewable energy.

The bill will lift a suspension of net metering that was to occur at the end of the year. Power customers will now be able to move forward with their Bay Area solar power investments knowing that they’ll be able to sell excess electricity generated back to the grid, obtaining important feed-in tariffs that make solar panel systems so valuable.

The governor hasn’t indicated officially that he will sign the bill, but given that some of its provisions were the direct result of his administration’s involvement in legislative negotiations, he is expected to be in favor of its passage.

“This is a banner day in California,” Rhone Resch, the president and chief executive of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said in a news release. “Once again, state lawmakers have set the bar high when it comes to the adoption of renewable energy. AB 327 provides a clear pathway for the continued growth of solar generation in California.”

The success of AB 327 will help California continue to make progress toward its goal of deriving 33 percent of all energy used in the state from renewable sources. It will also ensure that California electricity users continue to have access to programs that make clean energy technology available to homes and businesses. For more information on how you can benefit from net metering and solar energy, contact West Coast Solar today.