Arkansas
Arkansas' New Net-Metering Policy: Solar Industry vs. Utilities
Austin Taylor, an installer with Delta Solar of Little Rock, performed maintenance tasks last week on an array that provides 10% of the power used by the city of England.
To Douglas Hutchings, the new net-metering credit for excess solar power that customers put onto the grid simply gives most of that power’s value to the customer’s utility company.
To Heather Kendrick, the new net-metering policy, mandated by state law for new solar arrays connected to the grid after Sept. 30, simply corrects a too-generous “subsidy” to solar owners.
It may not surprise you that Kendrick is a spokesperson for the state’s largest electric utility, Entergy Arkansas, and Hutchings is president of a solar developer, Delta Solar of Little Rock.
Solar power systems that have their interconnection documents in place by Sept. 30 are granted legacy status and will be “grandfathered in” at the old net-metering credit rate. That is basically the retail rate that consumers pay for electricity on their monthly bills, slightly over 10 cents per kilowatt-hour.
For systems that miss the deadline, owners’ credit will be about 4 cents per kilowatt-hour.
The change benefits power companies, not consumers or the environment, said Hutchings, whose company expects to lose its market for solar arrays on the farm. He said the state Public Service Commission, which oversees utilities in Arkansas, can’t get utilities to prove that an attractive net-metering credit gives array owners too much.
Kendrick told Arkansas Business that Entergy Arkansas’ current rates are 22% below the national average, and the investor-owned company is proud of that. “Our work to keep our rates more affordable has produced millions in savings for the Arkansas schools we serve and for our other customers,” she said.
Entergy favors net metering, she said, but the policy change “helps restore economic fairness for all customers who receive service,” those with and without net metering.
“It is unfair and inappropriate for all other customers to be forced to subsidize net-metering facilities through utility rates, nor require customers to pay a premium because those resources cannot be depended on to serve other customers,” Kendrick said.
In response, Hutchings suggested a serious look at comments on the PSC’s net-metering dockets.
“Something like five paid utility people talk and then 95 people ask them to provide data to back up their claims,” he said. “The data is never produced, so we can’t really have a productive conversation about what policies achieve the right balance of rewarding utilities for their investments while allowing Arkansans to claim some independence on how they produce and consume electricity.”
Hutchings said he’s seen data showing that demand-metered customers (generally commercial accounts) pay more than their fair share of infrastructure and maintenance costs even under the current retail net-metering rate. “Personally, I would love to see a lot more consumer protection on the residential side.”
Delta Solar has fewer than 25 employees. “We have always grown very intentionally with the goal of never having to negatively adjust to temporary disruptions,” Hutchings said. That served the company well when net-metering rules fell into limbo two years ago and Delta “couldn’t, in good faith, sell someone a solar array until there was clarity.”
He calculates the company would have doubled in size without the net-metering rule change.
Entergy companies have about 2,700 employees in Arkansas, and the utility clearly sees the value of the solar power it generates itself.
The utility has 281 megawatts of solar generation in place, 530 megawatts scheduled to come online later this year, and another 400 megawatts approved to start generating in 2025 “with more planned in the coming years,” Kendrick said.
JONESBORO – Staff members at Arkansas State University were honored for their retirement
and milestone accomplishments during the annual Distinguished Performance Awards and
Service Recognition Ceremony in Centennial Hall of Reng Student Union on Monday, May
11.
Those who have or will retire during the current academic year include Malissa Davis,
Ellis Library, 35 years; Jimmy Crocker, Facilities Management, 28 years; Anna Warren,
Childhood Services, 19 years; Cameron Martin, Facilities Management, 14 years; Barbara
Bland, Childhood Services, 14 years; Charlotte Booker, Information Technology Services,
12 years; Mary E. Williams, College of Nursing and Health Professions, 11 years; and
Joe Boon, Facilities Management, 9 years.
Honored for 45 years of service was Sharon Lee, director of community engagement and
outreach for the office of Access and Accommodation Services.
Honored for 40 years of service was Sharon McDaniel, records management supervisor
for the Registrar’s Office.
Those honored for 35 years of service include:
Phillip Ladd, project manager in Construction Services, and Russ Hannah, vice chancellor
for Finance and Administration.
Those honored for 30 years of service include:
Natalie Turney, administrative assistant in the Department of English, Philosophy
and World Languages and Cheryl Richey, custodial coordinator in Facilities Management.
Those honored for 25 years of service include:
Woodie Sue Herlein, out-of-school time projects coordinator in Childhood Services;
Diana Courson, assistant director of Childhood Services; Laura Miller, director of
Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center; Mia Sheppard-Taylor, director
of Custodial Services; Eric Barnett, core network engineer and wireless administrator
of Information Technology Services; Clay Hurn, Mail Center; and Sharon Rye, hardware
engineer in Information Technology Services.
Those honored for 20 years of service include:
April Morris, Michael Glover, Mary Melton, Grady Clark, Amber Long Martin, Kayann
Brown, Dwain Roberts, Randy Wheaton, Amber Jones, Melissa Jackson, Cheryl Wright,
Christy Brinkley, and Jimmy Rousseau.
Those honored for 15 years of service include:
Ronnie Gilley, Christina Kostick, Carol Caldwell, Michael Bradley, Mark Freier, Shea
Harris, Thomas Wilson, Chris Boothman, Lora Gibson, Cary Estes, Stephanie Gibson,
Jesse Blankenship, Violeta Lugo, Alyssa Wells, Marsha Carwell, Vickie Gilmer, Edward
Haff, and Alexis Hurdle Besharse.
Those honored for 10 years of service include:
Michael Hagen, Tammy Daffron, Terri Teters, Mollie Menton-Ipsen, Dale McClelland,
Taylor Carpenter, Anne Merten, Avis Turner, Benjamin Housewright, Dallas Reece, Brandon
Tabor, Tia Caldwell, Tara Thomason, Petree Buford, Robert Davenport, Cathy Naylor,
Shannon Williams, Jackie Cox, Frazier Dixon, Devin Nelson, and Michelle White.
Those honored for five years of service include:
Jeri Knight, Josh Rogers, Taylor Shannon, Fen Yu, Deloris Holley, Penny Toombs, Greg
Umhoefer, Sasha Jones, Brittany Stokes, Stephanie Stanley, Caleb Lawson, Raven Person,
Maria Bedwell, Michael Bledsoe, Judith Poole, Suzette Hinkle, Leigh Ann Crain, Bryce
Moore, Andrew Shoffner, Lyle Jones, Derrick Lett, Ben Kutylo, Autumn Anderson, Stanley
Broadaway, Michael Alexander, Jennifer Keys, Julie Yarberry, Shauna Baker, Melissa
Dooley, Paula Kelley, Taylor Simmermon, Craig Estes, Kyle Ford, Fady Fara, Sylvia
Zavala Brandon, Nicholas Wallis, Olivia Clark, and JD Stallings.
Honorees from five years of service through 20 years received a certificate and a
pin. Those celebrating 25 years and up received a plaque in recognition of their dedication
to A-State.
Anya Lynch (left), a Farmington High School student, fields the ball with the help of Riley Sundquist, Farmington Junior High School student on Wednesday, May 6, during the Special Olympics Arkansas Area 3-Farmington softball skills and competition event at the Farmington Sports Complex. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Caleb Grieger)
Anya Lynch (left), a Farmington High School student, fields the ball with the help of Riley Sundquist, Farmington Junior High School student on Wednesday, May 6, during the Special Olympics Arkansas Area 3-Farmington softball skills and competition event at the Farmington Sports Complex. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Caleb Grieger)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — The Arkansas State Police (ASP) held their annual award ceremony today, to recognize bravery and service within their ranks.
Channel 7 provided coverage at the Benton event center this morning, as ASP awarded the troopers cross award, the distinguished Meritorious Service Award and the Medal of Valor to some of its finest members.
“Just a job, you got to do it. I mean, didn’t the day. You know, that’s what we’re trained for, and we’re thankful receive the highest quality of training, you know, in the state, and I’m thankful for the ones that come before us and taught us,” said Trooper Ethan Hiland.
This year, three troopers shared the honor of being named Arkansas State Police Trooper of the year, including Hiland.
Trooper First Class Brady Knuckles and Trooper First Class Jacob Price were recognized for their actions last June, during the arrest of a violent felon out of Michigan who had carjacked a woman at gunpoint.
The troopers saved that woman and killed the suspect in a stop near Carlisle.
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