US solar company Sunrun has ditched its operations in the state of Nevada leading to hundreds of job losses.
The company said its decision was a direct result of new rules adopted by the state Governor Dandoval, its Public Utilities Commission, NV Energy and Nevada politicians.
On 1 January, the PUC adopted new rules which Sunrun says are more adverse to solar customers than what was publicly proposed by NV Energy.
The company says about 16,000 homeowners in the state could be affected by a reduction in savings and that future investment in the state could be reduced because of the new policy.
“Commissioners Thomsen, Noble, and Burtenshaw’s decision forces Sunrun to displace our Nevada employees, inflicting enormous pain on hard-working Nevada families,” said Sunrun vice president Bryan Miller.
“Nevada passed incentives to attract residents to go solar. But after baiting homeowners with incentives, the state switched the rules, penalizing solar homeowners to deliver additional profit to NV Energy.”
Sunrun hopes to move affected employees to other positions within the company or place them with other local organisations.
The company said other local businesses will be affected and may have to release employees or shut down altogether because Sunrun partners local organisations.
Sunrun is now the third national solar company to announce that the PUC’s anti-solar rules have forced them to cease operations in the state.
Image: Nevada solar plant (US Army)
