Idaho Power customers, youth advocates testify against proposal to change credits for rooftop solar
At a Tuesday hearing at the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, dozens of Idaho Power customers and climate advocates laid out concerns about a proposal that would change the way the company credits solar customers.
In May, Idaho Power submitted a proposal with the commission to decrease the amount it credits customers who sell their rooftop solar power back to the grid. Homeowners who are a part of the “non-legacy” system, or who installed solar panels after December 2019, would be impacted by the changes if it is approved.
One customer, Scott McKelvy, told the commission that he and his wife installed solar knowing that they are under the “non-legacy” credit system. For the sake of the planet, he urged Idaho Power to keep its rate structure the same anyway.
“My wife and I chose to go solar about 10 months ago,” he said. “We did so knowing that we weren’t grandfathered, and we also did so knowing it was the right thing to do. We spent a great deal of money, a great deal of thought, and a great deal of time because it’s our wish to do what’s right for our future, and the future of people that live beyond us.”
Alongside McKelvy, dozens of Idaho Power customers with solar panels said they installed solar out of concern for the environment and to take steps to move away from coal.
“We have a lot of people trying to do the right thing, and we’re not given the credit and due consideration of what it really means for our future,” he said. “We’d like you to do so, and keep things in a more reasonable rate structure.”
Many customers requested that the commission reject the proposal entirely, while others asked that the commission extend the time beyond Idaho Power’s requested effective date of Jan. 1 so the public can submit more feedback.
No one testified in favor of the proposal.
What is Idaho Power’s proposal?
While solar advocates say the proposal disincentivizes homeowners from installing solar panels, Idaho Power argues the proposal addresses equity and fairness.
Idaho Power spokesperson Jordan Rodriguez previously told the Idaho Capital Sun that the amount of customers with solar generation at their homes has significantly increased in recent years, and the proposal is meant to address that growth.
According to a company report, the number of Idaho Power customers with residential solar power has increased from nearly 1,000 in the Idaho Power system in 2016 to more than 13,000 in 2022.
At the same time, Rodriguez said the 98% of Idaho Power customers who do not have rooftop solar pay an “unfair share of grid maintenance costs.” Under a different credit system, he said it would more accurately reflect a residential solar generator’s use of the electrical grid.
If approved by the utilities commission, the changes would include:
- A change from net monthly to real-time net billing, which would better measure customers’ actual reliance on the grid.
- A change in the excess exported energy credit from a fixed kilowatt-hour (kWh) credit ranging in value of 5 to 12 cents (based on customer class) to a variable bill credit ranging from approximately 5 to 20 cents per kWh (based on off-peak and on-peak exports) that would be updated annually.
Solar advocates, youth speak against Idaho Power proposal
Lisa Young, the director of the Idaho chapter of the Sierra Club, said Idaho Power customers deserve to be compensated “fully and fairly” for energy that they provide to the grid while urging the utilities commission to reject Idaho Power’s proposal.
“Our members envision a bright future where our community and our state is strengthened by abundant clean, renewable energy that is locally owned and controlled …” she said. “Idaho Power’s ongoing attempts to undercut and suppress customer-owned solar power directly undermine that dream. ”
Amanda Reed, the chapter organizer for the Idaho Sierra Club, also spoke at the hearing. Though not a solar owner, Reed said she represents Treasure Valley residents who cannot afford solar panels.
“I’m here for the youth in the room,” she said while pointing to a group of students. “That group back there of 10 high school activists took time away from their homework, their extracurriculars, their college applications to speak with you today and share about the decision that you will make and how that will impact their future and then they call home.”
Reed said she spent the summer doing public outreach about the case, noting that many locals were unaware and angered about the ongoing proposal.
“[The youth] will have to live in a future with hotter summers, greater storm surges, more frequent wildfires, and the decisions you make now could impact their ability to keep the lights on in the future and have that resiliency.”
Among the group of people giving testimony, several high school students with the Idaho Climate Justice League spoke against the proposal, all of whom ended their testimony with the phrase, “Cut the hypocrisy, we need a solar democracy.”
Ella Henry, a senior at Borah High School, said during the hearing that she is worried about her future.
“Having access to solar energy is an essential step towards combating the climate crisis and building a resilient community,” she said. “I believe that everyone should have equal access to solar energy… In order to save Idaho solar, Idaho Power should put the people and the needs of the people over profit.”
Written comments on Idaho Power’s application are being accepted until Nov. 8. While Idaho Power requested to implement the changes by Jan. 1, the timing of the decision is at the discretion of the commission.
To read more about the case, or to submit a comment, visit the Idaho Public Utilities Commission website.
This article was written by Mia Maldonado of the Idaho Capital Sun.