Bills
Net Metering Cap Increase
Bill #: H.5045
Session: 2017-2018
Topics:
Energy
Legislators introduced H.5045 to protect the utilities from potential lost revenue and sabotage efforts to continue growing South Carolina’s solar industry. This bad bill was fast-tracked through subcommittee and committee in one day with no debate about its job-killing implications or the additional cost that would be passed on to energy ratepayers. The timing was also orchestrated to place it directly before the Solar Jobs Bill (see H.4421) to pressure solar supporters to seek a compromise. Solar champions didn’t give up, and Reps. Stavrinakis, Ballentine, Clary, Caskey, Williams, and J.E. Smith rose to challenge the bill in the following scored votes.
The bill ultimately passed the House, but never passed the Senate.
How Legislators Voted on H.5045
Votes:
- + Pro Conservation Vote
- - Anti Conservation Vote
- EA Excused Absence
- NV Not Voting
- NA Not in Office
- A Abstained (Conflict of Interest)
H.5045 Net Metering Cap Increase (Motion to Continue)
Rep. James Smith made a motion to recommit the bill to committee which would have killed it. Rep. Forrester, a supporter of the bill, made a motion to “table” the motion to recommit. The House voted 51-50 on April 5, 2018 to table the motion to recommit, letting debate on the bill continue.
While this vote was a loss, the early vote picture allowed our clean-energy champions to work to flip votes on the floor, ultimately allowing a bipartisan coalition of clean energy champions to kill H.5045 on a continuance vote of 61-39. This continuance vote is the focus of this scored vote.
Killing this bill allowed the House to proceed to debate and discussion on H.4421, the solar jobs bill.
- This is a procedural vote on an Anti-Conservation Bill.
- The Pro-Conservation Vote was YES for continuing the bill
- The bill died in the House.
- + Pro Conservation Vote
- - Anti Conservation Vote
- EA Excused Absence
- NV Not Voting
- NA Not in Office
- A Abstained (Conflict of Interest)
H.5045 Net Metering Cap Increase (Table Motion to Recommit)
Rep. James Smith made a motion to recommit the bill to committee which would have killed it. Rep. Forrester, a supporter of the bill, made a motion to “table” the motion to recommit. The House voted 51-50 on April 5, 2018 to table the motion to recommit, letting debate on the bill continue. This table motion to recommit vote is the focus of this scored vote.
While this vote was a loss, the early vote picture allowed our clean-energy champions to work to flip votes on the floor, ultimately allowing a bipartisan coalition of clean energy champions to kill H.5045 through a continuance vote of 61-39.
Killing this bill allowed the House to proceed to debate and discussion on H.4421, the solar jobs bill.
- This is a procedural vote on an Anti-Conservation Bill.
- The Pro-Conservation Vote was NO for tabling the motion to recommit
- The bill passed died in the House.