Idaho Public Utilities Commission to hold hearings this week on net metering

The Idaho Public Utilities Fee is holding public hearings this week on a examine that might decide the way forward for rooftop photo voltaic within the state.

The Fee requested Idaho Energy to do the examine about three years in the past, to ascertain a “honest and equitable” internet metering program — the place prospects who generate their very own solar energy, typically on their roof or property, can receives a commission for the surplus vitality they ship again to the grid.

For years, Idaho Energy has argued the present market charges aren’t honest as a result of they do not have in mind the utility’s upkeep and distribution prices. Idaho Energy additionally says they pay the solar-generating prospects on the expense of shoppers with out photo voltaic, based on Jordan Rodriguez, a company communications specialist at Idaho Energy.

A couple of years in the past, the utility proposed chopping the credit these internet metering prospects obtain, however the Public Utility Fee rejected the plan as a result of it stated it did not embody sufficient public enter. It despatched Idaho Energy again to the drafting board to suggest a examine to find out how it could set new charges.

Idaho Energy launched that examine in June and now the Fee is holding three public hearings to collect suggestions on it. Twenty-eight folks spoke at one in Pocatello final week. Two extra hearings are scheduled for this week:

• Weds., Nov. 2, from 6-9 p.m. on the Vera C. O’Leary Center Faculty in Twin Falls. Folks may additionally hearken to the testimony nearly by calling 1-415-655-0001 and getting into assembly quantity 2455 251 2587.
• Thurs., Nov. 3, from 6-9 p.m. on the Idaho Public Utilities Fee in Boise. Folks may additionally hearken to the testimony nearly by calling 1-415-655-0001 and enter assembly quantity 2454 163 5014.

Digital feedback may be despatched via Friday, Nov. 4 at this hyperlink: https://puc.idaho.gov/Kind/CaseComment and by getting into case quantity “IPC-E-22-22.”

The Public Utilities Fee will resolve, doubtlessly by the tip of the 12 months, whether or not to approve Idaho Energy’s examine. After that, extra public remark alternatives will likely be out there when Idaho Energy goes via the method of figuring out the brand new export credit score charges.

Whereas the brand new charges will not be last till that time, Idaho Energy’s examine launched in June signifies it is going to probably suggest decreasing the present credit score of 8-10 cents per kilowatt-hour of vitality returned to the grid to between roughly 2.8-4 cents per kilowatt-hour.

“These financial, monetary advantages month-to-month for purchasers could be a lot much less, and it could make it a lot much less enticing to even make the funding within the first place,” stated Lisa Younger, the director of the Idaho chapter of the Sierra Membership.

The Sierra Membership, plus different organizations just like the Idaho Conservation League, commissioned an impartial overview of Idaho Energy’s examine by consultants at Crossborder Vitality.

It discovered Idaho Energy was undervaluing the advantages of customer-generated photo voltaic as a result of it did not have in mind, for instance, the way it helps keep away from prices of constructing extra vitality infrastructure in addition to environmental prices.

“These environmental advantages are actual, they’re quantifiable, they impression charges, and they need to be included within the examine,” Younger stated.

Idaho Energy has largely rejected the findings in that report as a result of it stated amongst different issues, the Fee directed it simply to take a look at the prices and advantages of things which can be included in buyer charges as we speak.

Discover reporter Rachel Cohen on Twitter @racheld_cohen

Copyright 2022 Boise State Public Radio