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Arizona Approves Grid-Connection Fees For Solar Rooftops

mdsolar writes with this excerpt from Bloomberg News: "Arizona will permit the state's largest utility to charge a monthly fee to customers who install photovoltaic panels on their roofs, in a closely watched hearing that drew about 1,000 protesters and may threaten the surging residential solar market. The Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities in the state, agreed in a 3-to-2 vote at a meeting [Thursday] in Phoenix that Arizona Public Service Co. may collect about $4.90 a month from customers with solar systems. Arizona Public is required to buy solar power from customers with rooftop panels, and the commission agreed with its argument that the policy unfairly shifts some of the utility's costs to people without panels. Imposing a fee designed to address this issue may prompt power companies in other states to follow suit, and will discourage some people from installing new systems, according to the Sierra Club."

3 of 363 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Gov't in infrastructure by Grishnakh · · Score: 0, Troll

    In a libertarian's ideal world, you'll only have one road to your house (since obviously, there's only room for one; it's kinda hard to have two roads joining up at one driveway), and you'll simply have to pay a toll to whoever owns that road. And since you have no choice, you'll have to pay whatever toll that person or company wants you to pay. But libertarians don't see the problem with this.

  2. Re: APS is right by rossdee · · Score: 0, Troll

    In Iceland (and the rest of the civilized world) they spell element number 13 as aluminium
    There is also a big smelter at Bluff in The South Island of NZ, powered by hydro (Lake Manapouri)

  3. Re: what cost by Dahamma · · Score: 0, Troll

    You have no clue what you are talking about. Arizona utility companies pay a wholesale rate to solar homeowners for the electricity they generate.

    No, YOU don't have a clue what you are talking about. And seriously, +5 informative? Do ANY mods do their research? Arizona has a "net metering" rule that effectively pays *retail* rates for provided power (since it's an even exchange). Look it up, even the pro-solar power sites are stating that.

    And personally I am *very* pro-solar as long as people admit it will never be a 100% solution. Not only that, but almost every pro-solar organization considers the ~$5 fee (which honestly is more than fair in a net metering situation considering the power companies in the end are entirely responsible for any reliability the service has) a total victory. Especially since the power companies were pushing for a totally absurd $50-100 fee that was soundly rejected...