Vivint Solar Inc. will resume serving customers in Nevada on the heels of a Nevada Legislature bill restoring the conditions under which rooftop solar customers are reimbursed for excess electricity generation. Vivint operated in Nevada for two weeks in 2015 but abruptly shut down operations when Nevada allowed utilities to hike the fees paid by rooftop generation customers and to reduce the price the utilities paid for excess power returned to the grid. The Nevada Legislature also allowed utilities to set a cap on the number of customers it would allow to feed power back into their electrical systems.
“We are very pleased Nevada officials have recognized the broad public support of rooftop solar and reestablished the state’s commitment to the future of renewable energy,” said David Bywater, CEO of Vivint Solar. “This bill demonstrates the power of building consensus across stakeholders to find a win-win-win solution for the residential solar industry, utilities and Nevada consumers. We look forward to bringing jobs, consumer choice and affordable solar power back to the state of Nevada.”
Assembly Bill 405, which Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has pledged to sign, not only restores the “net metering” policy — the system under which customers buy power they need and sell excess power they generate — but it also provides additional rights to protect consumers and their solar energy system investments.
Vivint’s pledge to return to Nevada follows earlier announcements by both Tesla’s Solar City and Sunrun that they would also reestablish operations in the state. Vivint, Solar City and Sunrun are the three largest residential solar companies in the country.
Vivint said it expects to create up to 60 jobs in Nevada “in the coming months,” and approximately 100 total jobs once it fully resumes operations
Vivint also announced last week that it is moving into Colorado where it will operate under the net metering model. Vivint will service the Denver and Boulder areas and set up a sales office in Centennial. Once it returns to Nevada and opens in Colorado, Vivint Solar will operate in 18 states.
“We’re pleased to bring affordable solar energy systems to Colorado as part of our ongoing expansion strategy,” said Bywater. “As experts in designing, installing and servicing solar energy systems, Vivint Solar makes it simple for Colorado residents to go solar, begin generating their own clean energy and potentially reduce their energy bills.”