Solar Is Here

14 November 2013 Dear commissioners, In this email, I present 5 strong reasons to oppose any current proposal regarding the APS request to alter net metering in Arizona (Docket # E-01345A-13-0248). 1) APS’ OWN FILING SHOWS SOLAR CUSTOMERS SUBSIDIZE THE GRID Attachment CAM_3 (pp 7-12) of the original July APS net-metering filing , E-01345A-13-0248,  includes 6 APS-cherry-picked sample bills from residential customers before and after installing solar. In all of these “illustrative examples”, the solar arrays generate more on-peak electricity than the house consumes - both in winter and summer. That means the house is sending net on-peak electricity to the grid. And in all of these “illustrative examples”, the house is generating less off-peak electricity than it consumes. That means the house is receiving net off-peak electricity. All 6 of these example solar customers are trading, one-for-one, their own valuable on-peak hours for APS’ less-valuable off-p...

13 November 2013 Click Read More for the transcript.

08 November 2013 Arizona Ratepayers’ Primary Interests A summary of findings from 5 different public surveys by Jamie Michael Kern In the recent APS Technical Conferences, the idea of “cross-subsidization” seems to have been assigned a default negative bias. Such a bias may be true in other markets but is not so in Arizona. According to multiple surveys of Arizonans, ratepayers overwhelmingly support the idea of cross-subsidization – in the form of increased rates – in order to develop renewable energy sources. Their explicit interests are summarized below. It must be noted that accommodating ratepayer interests is more than just adding a “societal benefit” in electricity valuations; it is and should be the primary driver of utilities. The Arizona Corporation Commission’s current Strategic Plan lists its primary mission as:  “exercise exclusive state regulatory authority over public service corporations (public utilities) in the public interest ”. As suc...

13 May 2013 Arizona Master Energy Plan (MEP) Task Force comments submitted following May 8th 2013 resource working group meeting Questions to consider after the meeting: What are the ratepayer’s explicitly voiced primary interests ( source 1 , source 2 , source 3 , source 4 ) in Arizona’s energy development? And how are those explicit interests being considered in the MEP? How does coal plant longevity appropriately factor into energy planning? All generation plants are continually upgraded, and the cost of upgrades increases as plants age (substantially more so for coal generators than other energy sources). So which coal plants serving AZ are well below a marginal cost equaling a marginal benefit, and which are close? Ideally, an answer in terms of years or decades would be of value in an analysis. Comments on specific topics discussed at the meeting: The true causes of solar growth in Arizona in last 2-3 years Net metering Financial incentives Availability of 3rd pa...

09 May 2013 Shared at the APS Renewables Stakeholder Series Solar Gastronomy: Would you like fries with your electricity , or what happens when your server orders for you. "Let's imagine that 10 Arizonans decide to dine out and go Dutch. They all have different appetites, but at this restaurant they will all be served exactly the same meal..." Read more...