Xcel SOLAR Rebate program CLOSED!
Xcel Energy is waging a financial war on solar in Colorado. On February 16th, Xcel announced that they filled a request with the Public Utilities Commission to reduce the current Solar Rebate from $2.00 per watt to $0.25 per watt. At the same time Xcel lowered the amount they pay for the Renewable Energy Credits from $0.35 to $0.01 per watt. These two actions account for an 88% decrease in the total rebate received by customer’s installing solar PV.
The biggest problem with Xcel’s recent actions, is that not only have they chosen to reduce the rebates by 88%, but they have now CLOSED the program to any new applications until the first part of May when the Public Utilities Commission is expected to rule on reducing the rebate amount from $2.00 to $0.25 per watt! Closing the Solar Rewards program not only prevents customer’s from accessing the rebates paid for by all Xcel customers, but also stops solar business dead in their tracks. Installers cannot sign up new customers for the rebate program, nor can customers access the rebates which are part of Amendment 37 approved by voters in 2005.
Xcel energy, for the past three and half years, has collected a percentage of every customer’s utility bill to pay for a portion of the solar rebates. Currently Xcel is collecting 2% of each customer’s bill.
The rebate program had been working well. Spurred by the passage of Amendment 37, there are now roughly 5,300 solar jobs and more than 400 solar businesses in Colorado. Colorado is now the #2 state in the US for solar jobs per capita. Xcel’s Solar Rewards program was on schedule, slowly ratcheting down incentives as solar costs decreased. Incentives were reduced nearly 50% during the past two years as solar electric costs decreased by 40-50% during the same period. The program changes were predictable, incremental and transparent so consumers and businesses could react.
We have taken huge strides in the past few years to promote clean energy and new jobs, and Xcel wants to unravel it all. Please help to write to your elected officials and to the PUC, and let them know we need these rebates to continue and we need the rebate program restarted!
Public Utilities Commission
Refer to Docket #11A-135E
http://www.dora.state.co.us/pls/real/CCTS_oWEB.comment_form
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