Utilities fighting against rooftop solar are only hastening their own doom

[applegrove]

by David Roberts at Vox

https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/7/7/15927250/utilities-rooftop-solar-batteries

"SNIP...........


The whole analysis is interesting, but I want to focus in on the way batteries will affect rooftop solar. Across the country, intense battles are being waged as utilities push back against the rapid spread of rooftop solar. (See, as the latest example, Nevada.) Batteries, McKinsey reveals, are going to scramble those battles, making them effectively unwinnable for utilities. The existential crisis they hoped to avoid by slowing rooftop solar is going to slam into them twice as hard once batteries enter the picture.

To begin, let’s back up a bit. To understand the role of batteries, first you have to understand why utilities don’t like rooftop solar in the first place — and what they’re doing to stop it.

Utilities’ problem with rooftop solar power, in 250 words or less
Utilities don’t make money selling electricity — for that, they can only recover costs. They are, after all, monopolies.

Investor-owned utilities make money by investing in grid infrastructure and then charging ratepayers the cost of that infrastructure plus a “reasonable rate of return,” as defined by the state public utility commission (PUC). They make money, in other words, by building stuff.

...........SNIP"

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. What surprises me is that "solar rights"

haven't been made like "mineral rights" in many western states. Typically, you own the land you bought, but not the mineral rights underneath. Whoever owns them can just come in, mine the minerals, have zero responsibility for returning the land to a usable state, and you're SOL.

With solar rights, utility companies could themselves install solar panels and profit from the electricity so generated themselves.

I'm honestly astonished that we haven't seen legislation to cover this proposed yet.

[applegrove]

2. That makes alot of sense.

[SHRED]

3. Rooftop solar liberates us ratepayers

Centralized power production enslaves us no matter if it's a renewable source or not because there is still an ever increasing electric bill to pay monthly.

[Tanuki]

4. Jimmy Carter is leasing 10 acres of his land for a solar farm,

which will provide power for much of his home town of Plains.
https://www.google.com/amp/www.ajc.com/news/jimmy-carter-leases-his-land-solar-power-much-plains/XwFS50Kf1wEI9fXxpvSUnM/amp.html
..."This site will be as symbolically important as the 32 panels we put on the White House,” Carter had earlier told a crowd of about 100 people — and one persistently crowing rooster nearby. “People can come here and see what can be done.”
.....


The project will provide over 50 percent of the power needs of Plains, a snug Sumter County town of 683 people located approximately ten minutes from Americus. With three Jimmy Carter National Historic Site locations operated by the National Park Service and a block-and-a-half long business district that primarily caters to tourists, the increased reliance on renewable energy will be economically beneficial to Plains and to its approximately 215 homes, SolAmerica executive vice president George Mori told the crowd.
.....

"In our industry, he’s somewhat of a hero for his vision around renewable energy and the growing need for it for energy independence and also for environmental reasons,” Mori said of Carter, who also created the U.S. Department of Energy during his term as president. During their first meeting about the project, Carter discussed the long-ago installation and subsequent removal of those 32 panels. Said Mori: “That is somewhat legendary in our industry.”

[applegrove]

5. +100

[Wellstone ruled]

6. Generally speeking,

Electric Companies are allowed up 15-19% return on their investments. Now you understand why thy fear the private home owner Solar Array's.

[applegrove]

7. And make third party leasing to own illegal in many solar states including

Florida.

[Wellstone ruled]

8. We are waiting to see just

how our last legislative session fixed or screwed up our Solar Rules and Regs. Hopefully,we can finally get our Solar Array as well as one of our neighbors,both were put on hold a couple years back because of the local Utility calling in their IOU's on our Government.

[applegrove]

9. Glad the issue is in the news.

[Wellstone ruled]

10. Now if we could make use of the

South East Wind from a permanent Low Pressure System anchored over Yuma,with Wind Mills. We had one Wind Farm canceled do to a bunch of Tea Baggers getting their way.