Lost revenue?? Surely you jest [RE-wrenches]

Wed Oct 2 09:44:01 PDT 2002

Arguments in response:

1.  Unless they pay time of use rates on the PV generation, you are
providing kWh's when they need them most, and when they cost the utility the
most to buy. Depending upon region, this is a substantial subsidy that PV
owners provide TO the utility.
2.  PV adds good stabilization voltage to the grid. As more PV is added, it
will assist in grid stability.
3.  Since our kWh's typically do not flow very far down the line, D&T losses
are reduced. Thus each kWh that the PV generates is equal to more than one
kWh from the utility, yet they pay us for only 1 kWh for each generated.
4.  The utilities receive tremendous subsidies. Tell them you would be
pleased to remove any possible form or appearance of subsidy from PV when
they do the same. We'd win hands down.
5.  Utility ratepayers subsidize a whole lot of things. The folks in the
backwoods who have 1/2 mile of power line going only to them cost the
utility a lot of money in maintenance and added line loss, yet do not pay
different rates. Our most rural electric company has significantly higher
rates than other companies, at least in large part due to the very low
density of customers per mile. What's up with the big stink over this one
item?  (  :)
6.  Tell them that the value of the direct subsidy due to direct
environmental and health costs caused (directly) by the generation of the
electricity is far in excess of the "subsidy" that PV gets.

There's more, but that's all I can think of now...

However, no matter what you tell them, they will not believe. They work for
the utility... Tell them that net metering is the law, and that you're there
to assist in implementing the law, not debating whether or not the law is
valid. Perhaps you should ask them about the laws that create subsidies for
them, such as the monopoly authority provided to them by the state.

Good luck.

Jeff

Jeffery D. Wolfe, P.E.
Principal
Global Resource Options, LLP
A Woman-Owned Limited Liability Partnership
4 Kibling Hill Road
P.O. Box 161
Strafford, VT 05072
800-374-4494 Toll-Free
802-765-4632 Phone
802-765-9983 Fax
Jeff at GlobalResourceOptions.com
www.GlobalResourceOptions.com

-----Original Message-----
From: David Blecker [mailto:blecker at earthsys.org]
Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2002 10:37 AM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Lost revenue?? Surely you jest [RE-wrenches]

Folks,

I hope this is an appropriate question for the group.

I'm working on an interconnection agreement with a utility.  They are
cooperating but they keep repeating the stone-age mantra that each RE system
translates into lost revenue and that the other ratepayers wind up
subsidizing the RE system owner.  Further, they claim that if too many
people add RE systems, it will mean higher rates for everyone since there
will be less kWh sales with which to recover fixed costs.

Have you encountered similar arguments?  If so, have you found any solid
arguments in response?

David

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