I advocate retaining net metering. I pay for electrical consumption through the solar energy system that I paid a lot of money for back in 2012, which includes mandatory electrical upgrades and the interest on the loan.

I am almost at net zero cost, except for the interest on the loan and the surcharge Hawaiian Electric Co. still bills me for every month. I also have maintenance cost to replace inverters and panels, and for cleaning. Soon I will have to be saving to pay for the replacement costs when my existing system dies in about 10 years.

Net metering will help me with these costs. Most all of the early residential solar consumers went through and continue going through these costs, and all deserve net metering. Nine months a year I produce more electricity than I use. In the last 10 years, I provided more than 30 megawatt hours for Hawaiian Electric to sell to others.

Milton Nitta

Pearl City

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