After several years of heated debate between the solar industry and big utilities over the costs and benefits of residential solar, and how best to share them, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued its “proposed decision” to preserve net-energy metering at the full retail rate when the state launches its follow-on net-metering programme.

The CPUC will make its final decision as soon as January, but the proposal bodes well for companies like SolarCity, Sunrun, Vivint Solar and Sungevity, which rely on California for much of their business as they expand into new markets.