Tucson Electric Power Company to Charge Solar Customers for Going Green
As always, one way or another, you’re gonna pay……
PHOENIX — State regulators for the first time will impose small monthly fees on residents who get rebates for solar energy.
The Arizona Corporation Commission approved the fee for Tucson Electric Power Co. customers on a 3-2 vote late Friday, and will pursue the same measure for Arizona Public Service Co. and other utilities.
The fee would not apply retroactively for those who already have solar systems, just for those who get rebates in the future.
Arizona’s utilities already charge other non-solar-energy users a monthly renewable-energy tariffs to help utilities pay for solar-panel rebates and to buy alternative energy for a state requirement that they get 15 percent of their power from such sources by 2025.
Led by Commissioner Brenda Burns, supporters of imposing the monthly fee for solar users say that it’s only fair that they pay a few dollars a month so that more people can use rebates to go solar themselves.
The APS tariff is capped at about $4 a month for residential customers. The money is used in part for people who want rebates for installing solar to help cut their energy bills and reduce the use of fossil fuels for electricity.
And pay and pay and pay…….
via Arizona solar users to pay monthly fees like everyone else | The Republic.
“Led by Commissioner Brenda Burns, supporters of imposing the monthly fee for solar users say that it’s only fair that they pay a few dollars a month so that more people can use rebates to go solar themselves.”
I am so glad that she is looking out for me and my ability to “go solar”… good thing she is only thinkng of me!!!
You’re right Papa Todd, they got us coming and going. You can’t hardly make a move without getting busted.
Well $4 a month is not too bad. While it is nice to get rebates, solar is also important for environmental reasons. That fee does not seem like it really incentivizing more people to switch to solar energy, but considering that it can be an investment to install a solar system, it would be nice to help new users to make the switch.
Just one question, But what I don’t want to contribute to SOMEONE else’s solar panels? Why am I being FORCED into that?
Don’t take a utility rebate at all!
This totally defeats the utility incentive. It is hardly worth it to even take the APS or TEP rebate now (down to $0.20 per watt.) This is now possibly viewed as taxable income by the IRS, so it reduces it even further to about ~$0.14 per watt after taxes. (The federal and state incentives are not taxable income.)
By taking the incentive, you are now locking yourself into paying the “Linda Burns” $3.84 MINIMUM fee per month in perpetuity. The current amount will increase greatly after 2013 when Solana comes online. The recovery recovery fee is not just for residential, but used to fund the big commercial projects. The fee will not end when the residential rebate goes to $0! It will be perpetual to fund the commercial solar and wind projects.
At least the non-solar customers are only be penalized for the amount of power they use; Their “tax” is at least proportional. But solar customers not aware and taking the measly rebate must pay the max forever, or hope for the rules to change.
Fortunately it is not retroactive for all the people that installed last year with huge incentives $1.60-$1.00 per watt. This rule will not recover the amount they are hoping for, but will just penalize people that install solar in the next 1-2 years without realizing what they signed. The incentive will likely fall 0 to 2013, after which it is not expected to be renewed at all. At that point (APS anyway) intends to grab REC solar credits from customers whether they take a rebate or not, without paying for credits.