The California Public Utilities Commission will consider a proposal filed by Southern California Edison Aug. 3 to implement a surcharge for rooftop solar panels installed after July 2017, or when SCE reaches its current statutory cap on qualifying customers. Solar panels installed prior to the cutoff date will be grandfathered in for 20 years.

The proposal, one of several in the net-energy metering proceedings commonly referred to as NEM 2.0, asks the Commission to levy a monthly surcharge of $3 for each kilowatt of installed solar electric capacity to cover the cost of grid infrastructure and operations.

Under the proposal, customers would continue to use self-generated on-site electricity with no payment to the utility and pay for extra energy at the regular retail rate. The proposal states that SCE would pay retail rates for surplus electricity that solar customers export to the grid.

SCE says the reason for the proposed surcharge is to cover its investment in the lines, poles and other equipment that connect homes running solar power to the grid so that those homes receive power 24/7.

Parties to the NEM 2.0 proceeding can comment on SCE’s proposal before Sept. 1 and the CPUC is expected to issue a decision by the end of the year.