A rate dispute between an electricity cooperative that serves a large swath of Colorado and its residential solar power customers is part of a national conflict between the utilities and the solar industry.

1. Colorado dispute over solar power reflects national trend
The AssociatedPress
Posted: 06/07/2015 11:27:47 AMMDT | Updated: 105 min.ago
DENVER(AP) — A rate dispute betweenanelectricitycooperative thatservesalarge swathof Coloradoand its
residentialsolarpowercustomersispartof a national conflictbetweenthe utilitiesandthe solarindustry.
The IntermountainRural ElectricCooperative hasagreedtoreview itsproposal tocutresidential creditsforsolar
energy,The DenverPostreportedSunday(http://dpo.st/1KiJZgd).The co-opservesalarge swathof Colorado
fromthe EasternPlansto the central mountains.
The reviewcomesaftercustomers complainedaboutcuttingthe creditandaddingnew charge basedonpeak
demand.AmongthemisTimEdmonson,whosaidhe thoughthe'dsave moneywhenhe addedsolarpanelstoa
newhome inCastle Rock."Itcompletelychangesthe economics(of solarpanels)," saidEdmonson,35,whomoved
to ColoradofromMinnesotainJuly.
IREA officialsinsistthatthe currentrate structure wouldleadtoa huge subsidytosolar-equippedhomes."A solar
grows,it becomesunsustainable,"IREA general managerPatrickMooneysaidof the rate cuts. Still,aftercriticism
fromcustomers,the IREA board isslatedto meetbefore the endof the monthtoconsiderchangesto itsproposal
— includingexemptingcurrentsolarhomesfromthe new rates.
The battle ispart of a larger war goingonacross the nationbetweenutilitiesandthe solarindustry.Thereare
casesin 30 stateswhere utilitiesare challengingdistributedsolar,"saidRickGilliam, regulatorypolicydirectorfor
Vote Solar,an advocacygroup."It is an industrywide effort."
The ColoradoPublicUtilitiesCommissionhasalsobeenholdingmeetingsonthe net-meteringcostsforXcel
Energy,the state'sbiggestutility.Xcel executiveshave saidthatnet-meteringcreditsoverstatethe value of
rooftopsolarto the system.IREA'sMooneysaidthe cooperative'sproposedrate changesare aimedatkeeping
the systemviable andthe booksbalanced."We dohave abusinesstorun,andwe are strugglingjustlike everyone
else,"MooneytoldsolarhomeownersatanIREA boardmeetingTuesday.
The cooperative'ssolarhomeownersare notconvinced."IREA makesithard,"Edmonsonsaid."Theydon'toffer
any incentives.WhenIspoke tosolarinstallersandtheyheardIwasin IREA,there were moansandgroans."The
IREA boardwill have aworkingsessionthismonthtogo overpossible changes,Mooneysaid.The nextofficial
board meetingisinJuly.Inthe meantime,SolarCityhasputonholdall solar projectsinIREA territory,suchas the
one Greg Sorge was setto have installedathishome inBennett.
Sorge,47, hasthree bighorsesand twominiature horsesandwashopingtouse the panelstohelpheatthe barn
and stocktank."We have some huge electricpaymentsinthe winter,upto$350, and we were hopingthe solar
panelswouldhelpevenitout," Sorge said."Butnow I don't know what'sgoingto happen.Itis frustrating."
Informationfrom:The DenverPost,http://www.denverpost.com