Edison Fees [RE-wrenches]

[Pat Redgate]

Don:

Thanks for the clarification on Exit fees vs Connection charges vs Green tag 
benefits.

At the time in December when I got first wind (more like foul odor) of 
connection charges, I felt that a one time PV fee of say $25 was reasonable 
in view of their administrative costs...  We all know utilities have HUGE 
administrative overheads.  

I soon discovered the utilities were planning to assume green tags as a well 
as institute exit fees.  It all seemed like a plot and the timing was 
reflective of an effort by these quasi-governmental entities to overload the 
PV industry with mundane and incidental charges that would eventually sink 
our ship.  In discussions with other members of this industry, many cooler 
heads than mine were advising restraint.. advice given somewhat along the 
line: "we should work with the utilities behind the scenes" rather than to 
invoke a jihad and to enlist the media in an attempt to alert the public to 
this concerted effort to bugger the solar industry.  When efforts along the 
line of rapprochement seemed to be failing, myself and others started 
broadcasting through the web and with letters detailing the utilities' 
actions.  It kinda snowballed and resulted in the CPUC being overrun with 
protests which I think resulted in the decision on April 3rd.  Don't ya just 
love the internet?!

I realize that there may be some backlash by the utilities, and it is 
possible that the cooler heads may have been right.  But in a battle against 
the "status quo" we cannot win unless we enlist those groups and individuals 
who support this industry.  The big boys in the energy business have hired 
guns, bigger guns, better guns.  They know how politics work and can 
influence legislation in ways we can't even imagine.  Just about THE ONLY 
weapon in our arsenal is the continued public support we enjoy, and I think 
we are fools not to use it when we need help.  

This is NOT just another California PV issue.  

Patrick A. Redgate
AMECO
Long Beach, CA
(562) 595-9570
www.amecosolar.com

--
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

- - - -
To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages: http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/

List rules & etiquette: http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquete.htm

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html

Hosted by Home Power magazine

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com

==^================================================================
This email was sent to: michael_welch at sbcglobal.net

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bz8Qcs.bz9JC9.bWljaGFl
Or send an email to: RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html
==^================================================================