Clouds darken over solar subsidies

Measures have been filed in 20 states to change or eliminate an incentive that has helped propel the installation of solar panels at homes and businesses, a new report said, shedding light on both the growing penetration of solar power and the disruption it is causing.

At issue is “net metering,” a subsidy in 44 states that pays solar-using customers for excess power they sell back to the utility. Opponents say those customers — who are still attached to the grid so they get power when the sun isn’t shining — don’t pull their weight for paying for grid maintenance, but its boosters say the program incentivizes solar adoption that brings benefits utilities aren’t fully counting.