On Oct. 5, Utah’s Public Service Commission will begin hearings to determine exactly how much electricity generated from rooftop solar is worth, and you might be surprised at how far apart the opposing sides are on that question. Under a 2017 agreement, Rocky Mountain Power set the price at an average of 9.2 cents/kWh. But the utility says that’s too much and is asking the commission to set the rate it pays to homeowners much lower, an average of 1.5 cents/kWh. Rooftop solar advocates contend Rocky Mountain Power’s figure is far too low and doesn’t reflect the additional benefits of rooftop solar. The group Vote Solar did its own calculations and believes the actual value is 22.6 cents/kWh. Source: The Salt Lake Tribune
An anti-rooftop solar representative accepted over $20,000 from Florida utilities: Florida Representative Lawrence McClure asked the Florida Public Service Commission to review the rules and regulations related to customer-owned solar and net metering. The request, which McClure made on May 22, echoes utility claims that rooftop solar is a threat to low to middle-income Floridians, and followed McClure’s direct communication with Florida’s investor-owned utilities, as referenced in communications obtained by the Energy and Policy Institute. McClure attached to his request an anti-rooftop solar document produced by Energy Fairness, a utility front group. The Public Service Commission scheduled a workshop on net metering for next week, and depending on the outcome of the workshop, the PSC could open a rule-making docket and potentially change the rules governing net metering for Florida utilities.” Source: Energy and Policy Institute
As school districts struggle to adapt to a nationwide budget crisis brought on by the Covid-19 outbreak, many K-12 schools are shoring up budgets with a switch to solar power, often with minimal to no upfront capital costs. Since 2014, K-12 schools saw a 139% increase in the amount of solar installed, according to a new report from clean energy nonprofit Generation180, in partnership with The Solar Foundation and the Solar Energy Industries Association. The report finds that 7,332 schools nationwide utilize solar power, making up 5.5% of all K-12 public and private schools in the U.S. Report here.
As a developer seeks approval to build five solar farms totaling up to 138 MW in capacity, local officials in South Carolina fixate on end-of-life disposal plans for the panels: An unnamed developer is currently seeking a deal with Horry County officials to build five solar farms in the county in coming months, aiming to break ground in mid-2021. The potential deal could net the county up to $16.6 million over 30 years. But a big question remains: What to do with the solar panels when they become obsolete? By Some council members said they worry that the materials contained in the solar panels, once the panels are disposed of. “There’s not a landfill in the country that will take these things,” County Council member Johnny Vaught said at a recent council meeting. Source: Myrtle Beach Online
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It is amazing how cheap various U.S. elected officials can be bought.
I have always thought schools are pretty much the perfect place for solar installs. They can use it to power the schools during the school year and since most schools are minimally used during the summer this can help the summer-time load.
I’m wondering if this is why all the beams were cut in the roofs of 3 of my rentals. Rocky Mountain power has made a killing off us and now trying to control solar energy by caving in our roofs. Cheap shot, how much money is enough for you? I have lived with no power for 5 years due to their savatage on my homes. This includes not being able to rent my mother’s home out after her death because of the damage caused in the rafters of the homes. Rocky Mountain power are heartless thugs that you can find sitting around in bars, laughing about their latest attack on a customer that thought they were going solar. They arched the lines leading into all 3 homes damaging water lines, heaters, air conditioners and all appliances. Rocky Mountain power will next be in the business of home repair. Repairing all the damage they caused. A big coordination buying attorneys, Judges and other officials making sure the justice system is always twisted their way if anyone goes after them. They are legalized corruption with only money and control on their minds. Solar will finally put these monsters down until, they find a way to steal the sun from the sky…
Thank you for posting the above about “An anti-rooftop solar representative accepted over $20,000 from Florida utilities”. After carefully reading the report I am appalled at the extreme biases shown in favor of the utility companies. Florida has always had these biases and we need scientific unbiased reporting, not well written slanted reports paid for by the utility conglomerates. I would like to see Scientific American Magazine do a comprehensive study with current and accurate data instead of the unverified musings of industry pundits.
These “elected officials” not only actively ignore any valid scientific studies, they will denounce such studies as “fake news” or invent some conspiracy theory in order to bolster the viewpoint of their benefactors.
Yikes…. 20k to buy a politician, wonderful deal! What a shame. Also, they’ve tied up the project because they can’t find a recycling facility they won’t need for 20-25 years?! That’s nuts.
And long before 20-25 years have gone by, we will have panels that last 50-100 years and are made of non-toxic easily recyclable materials. Politicians don’t look beyond the next election and the next payola.
This is shameful, but not surprising. Science, logic, economics and the well being of all vs. polluters and their lobbyists. Paying politicians to interfere in the natural progression of the relationship between science and a free market economy. Lowering the cost of energy and improving the air we all breath while flattening the climate change curve. A curve they have produced that is producing the inferno our grandchildren will have to live in. Unconscionable.
The value should be the set in line with other used generation sources. There is no place for distribution charges in the value model. Old subsidies need to stop