Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Sunrun Inc.
By Ryan Randazzo | Arizona Republic
SRP’s solar rates are widely opposed by solar advocates but opponents say the alternatives are as bad or worse than current rates
Salt River Project officials are considering changes to solar rates that have bogged the public utility in controversy for years — but the changes aren’t appeasing many of the critics.
Opponents of the SRP solar rates say they are so difficult to understand and manage that they have prevented thousands of customers from installing solar in one of the sunniest parts of the country.
SRP officials contend the rates are fair and prevent non-solar customers from subsidizing those who install solar panels.
SRP managers proposed rate changes for all 1 million customers in December, and the elected officials who run the public utility will vote on the proposal March 25.
The action is set to come four years after SRP approved a required rate for solar customers called E-27. The change dramatically reduced the number of people installing solar in the utility’s territory because they made it about $50 a month more expensive to have solar.
Some are discouraged by the new proposals.
“Our initial analysis of the new rates is that they may actually be of less value to solar customers than E-27, which is sort of hard to imagine,” said Court Rich, an attorney with the Rose Law Group representing solar-leasing company Sunrun Inc.
