NEWS RELEASE
(PHOENIX) TUSK is questioning the timing and the motives behind a recent letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau written by liberal Representatives Kyrsten Sinema, Ron Barber, Ann Kirkpatrick and Gene Green. The letter is seeking additional scrutiny of rooftop solar leases by the Federal Consumer Protection Financial Bureau.
The rooftop solar industry leasing system is consistently monitored by a host of consumer agencies and it welcomes that oversight. The industry plays by the rules, follows the law, and it values its customers and reputation.
However, the letter penned by four liberal members of congress operates under false assumptions perpetuated by utility monopolies that want to undermine competition from the rooftop solar industry. The rooftop solar industry enthusiastically agrees it’s always good practice for consumers to do their homework before making a purchase. But when these members of congress generalize and smear an entire industry; that’s wrong and it demonstrates a failure to carefully review the facts.
The timing and motive of the letter is curious as Arizona Public Service and Tucson Electric Power seek state approval for a job killing plan that would use ratepayer dollars to try and kill the rooftop solar industry in Arizona and the thousands of jobs that go with it. It is also curious to note the letter was written after the Democratic Party suffered huge losses at the ballot box and a loss of credibility because of the Obamacare debacle.
The letter also fails to recognize that rooftop solar, and to a greater degree leased rooftop solar, represents the first time electric utility monopolies have encountered any real competition.
Sinema, Barber, Kirkpatrick and Green seem to have forgotten that utility monopolies that have engaged in persistent and untoward dark money efforts to undermine rooftop solar. The letter tries to make leasing a dirty word. Will these members of congress target home or car leasing next?
Not one Republican member of Arizona’s congressional delegation signed the letter.
TUSK (Tell Utilities Solar won’t be Killed) was formed to stand for solar energy choice and energy independence. TUSK Chairman Barry Goldwater Jr. said, “Leave it to liberals to forget that energy choice and energy competition are saving people money and forcing utility monopolies to compete in a free market. While liberals like to remind us to ‘go green’ they forget we all like to ‘save green’ as well.”
To learn more about T.U.S.K. visit www.dontkillsolar.com. T.U.S.K. believes that rooftop solar is similar to a charter school—it provides a competitive alternative to the monopoly. Monopoly utilities aren’t known for reducing costs or for driving business innovation, but the solar industry is. Solar companies have a track record of aggressive cost reduction. The more people use rooftop solar, the less power they need to buy from the utilities. Energy independence means smaller profits for the utilities, so they are doing everything they can to stop the spread of independent solar.
