"The growth of rooftop solar has slowed tremendously from the track it was on prior to the transition program," Ryan Evans, president of the Utah Solar Energy Association, said in March testimony to regulators. Nearly 10,000 customers are signed up to the transition program, Hall said. Gary Herbert called it "an unprecedented accomplishment in the advancement of sustainable rooftop solar energy in Utah." In 2017, Rocky Mountain Power, state regulators and rooftop solar advocates reached a settlement agreement that created a transition program to remain in place until the parties could agree on the value of rooftop solar energy. Utah's original net metering program began in 2002, and 30,870 customers are grandfathered into it, according to Hall. In Utah, regulators aim to design a new net metering program for customers who purchase solar systems beginning in 2021. In April it reached the power industry's highest regulatory body, when a utility-aligned group asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to declare that the commission has jurisdiction over rooftop solar sales, which advocates worry could upend net metering programs established by states. The battle over distributed solar programs, which often pits utilities against the customers they serve, has for years been contentious. Setting the rate "at its proper value will protect all other non-solar customers from paying higher rates," Hall said. Spencer Hall, spokesman for Rocky Mountain Power, said the utility is "proposing a net billing program to compensate at a fair rate for the excess power while protecting customers who do not elect to install solar from being required to subsidize solar customers." The state lags behind its neighbors in terms of MW of installed residential solar capacity. The utility, which serves roughly 907,000 customers in Utah, has a total of 40,450 rooftop solar customers. "What Rocky Mountain Power is proposing - it's really an effort to reduce the number of customers who go solar, and I think the reason is likely that the utility sees those customers as competition," Gallagher said. He said there's no "logical justification" for it. The net-metering cut would be one of the steepest in the nation, said Sean Gallagher, vice president of state affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association Inc., or SEIA. Rocky Mountain Power, or RMP, also wants to charge a one-time fee of $150 for interconnection applications, plus a one-time customer generation meter fee of $160. Currently, the company pays customers 9.2 cents/kWh for the excess energy they supply. is looking to dramatically cut the rates it pays to rooftop solar customers in Utah for sending energy back onto the grid.Ī proposal before the Utah Public Service Commission would slash the payments made by the PacifiCorp subsidiary for customer-generated solar power, under a system known as net metering, to between 1.3247 and 2.6293 cents/kWh in billing credits, depending on time of use. Source: S&P Global Market IntelligenceĮven as it transitions away from coal-fired power generation in an effort to reduce carbon emissions, Rocky Mountain Power Inc. Rooftop solar owners in the state are facing reduced rates from Rocky Mountain Power for the energy they send back onto the grid. While providing safe, reliable electric service to our customers, we strive to be good stewards by conserving natural resources, developing innovative solutions, growing renewable resources, reducing emissions, protecting habitats and more.Ethan Schow, a solar installer with Auric Energy, in front of a rooftop solar array in Herriman, Utah. Protecting and enhancing the environment is a core principle for Rocky Mountain Power. Rocky Mountain Power and our charitable Foundation are partners in your community, helping to educate youth, improve public safety and strengthen the economy. Working closely with state and local partners, we help communities enhance their economic vitality ? attracting top companies and high-paying jobs. Utah Power & Light (UP&L) was formed in 1912 from several small electric companies in Utah, Idaho and western Colorado. Our company dates back to 1881, when Salt Lake City became the fifth city in the world to have central station electricity. Give us a call for all your electrical needs! We are committed to helping you save energy and money with the right kind of information and resources to get the most out of each dollar.
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