In Heated Arizona Solar Battle, Top Regulators Tied To ALEC

[kristopher]

In Heated Arizona Solar Battle, Top Regulators Tied To ALEC
BY KILEY KROH ON NOVEMBER 1, 2013 AT 11:25 AM

In the ongoing fight over whether Arizona will continue its remarkable expansion of solar energy, a ThinkProgress analysis reveals four of five members of the state’s energy regulator are tied to the conservative anti-clean energy group, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

The fight centers on Arizona Public Service Co. (APS), the state’s largest utility, versus solar energy companies over how much customers should be compensated for the energy produced by solar panels installed on their homes and businesses. APS believes customers receive too much credit for the excess energy produced by their panels while the industry maintains changing the policy, known as net-metering, would devastate their promising and rapidly expanding industry.

The state’s energy regulator, the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), is expected to begin hearings on the net-metering proposal in November. Four of the five commissioners are members of ALEC, the group backed by fossil fuel interests, major corporations and the ultra-conservative Koch brothers. In 2012, ALEC dedicated its efforts to dismantling renewable energy laws around the country and though they failed completely in that effort, leaked documents from their recent annual meeting indicates they have no intention of backing down from the fight against clean energy.

A new report released Friday by Progress Now reveals ALEC’s involvement in attacking efforts to address climate change goes beyond clean energy laws — it has actively worked to help drilling companies hide fracking fluids, fight greenhouse gas emissions accords, and advance the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, among other initiatives.

ACC Chairman and former state legislator Bob Stump (R) is described as an ALEC member in his state legislature bio, as ...

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/11/01/2873071/arizona-solar-battle/

[gopiscrap]

1. figures, there is so much corruption nowadays!

[lostincalifornia]

2. The good news is prices have been coming down significantly on solar panels, and inverters. They

cannot stop this. Sales of solar are accelerating, and I suspect in 5 years the price for solar may cost as much as the price for a new roof

As right wing as Arizona is, there is no way that people are going to stop buying solar in that state, especially with temperatures frequently exceeding 100 degrees C.

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

3. 100 degrees C = 212 degrees F.

I mean... it usually feels like that, but is it carrying a little too far?

[lostincalifornia]

5. We should be using the metric system, that 98% of the rest of the world does, and the whole

scientific community also

Just my view

[DanM]

4. Good link, bro!

Link it again (on other websites).