By Ryan Randazzo | The Republic | azcentral.com
Arizona finds itself as the national hot spot when it comes to solar subsidies, with utility executives and industry officials squaring off in a showdown that could shape the future of residential solar use across the country.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising have been spent to influence a looming regulatory decision that in essence is quite basic.
It’s about affordability.
Arizona Public Service Co. says credits to solar users are so high that current solar-panel customers, many of them living in more-affluent areas, don’t pay their share for upkeep of the power grid. That, APS officials say, pushes that cost to non-solar households, making their bills less affordable.
But if solar customers’ bills are increased, as APS suggests, can people who get panels installed on their houses still save money with solar? And if not, can the solar-installation companies survive?
An estimated 9,800 people work in the solar industry in the state, and the majority of them install rooftop panels.
Also: California’s energy storage requirement may revolutionize the grid
If you’d like to discuss energy issues, contact Court Rich, director of Rose Law Group’s Renewable Energy Department at crich@roselawgroup.com
