Monday, October 2, 2017

To: Arizona Corporation Commission STOP TEP’S ATTACK ON SOLAR

STOP TEP’S ATTACK ON SOLAR

SIGN THE PETITION

I oppose TEP’s anti-solar, anti-consumer proposal. Please do not permit TEP to levy discriminatory monthly fixed charges on solar customers and reduce the amount solar homeowners are credited when they send power to TEP.

Why is this important?

As Arizonans, we need to speak up and tell TEP and the Arizona Corporation Commission to act in the people’s best interest by continuing to preserve the choice of each homeowner to make their own power. As a local small business investor, former utility professional, and now as a consultant to the solar energy industry, I know that solar allows all of us to save on our electricity bills, and help TEP meet growing electricity demands, while also conserving our scarce water resources and providing a more resilient grid. I wish all Arizona residents could have the same opportunity I have had to install solar power on my home. Now is the time to speak up and oppose TEP’s anti-solar proposal.

Solar is an opportunity to drive down costs for all Arizonans. TEP’s proposal does not consider the benefits rooftop solar customers provide to the grid and to our communities. Individual investments in rooftop solar benefit all Arizonans by increasing energy security and reliability, and reducing other utility spending, saves water and helps TEP meet its power requirements.

Unfortunately, TEP wants to make going solar on homes and businesses much more costly by proposing additional charges on solar customers totaling $25-$30 a month!

TEP has joined in the electric utilities’ coordinated effort to stop rooftop solar. As reported in the New York Times, electric utilities and their lobbying groups have undertaken a coordinated attack on rooftop solar, which they see as a threat to their bottom line. And a recent report from the Energy and Policy Institute found that customers are footing the bill for these lobbying efforts against an innovative industry that has created over 260,000 jobs across the country and over 600 in Pima County alone. That means if you are a TEP customer, you might be paying for these efforts to stop solar.

Time is running out to stop TEP’s attack on solar. Please sign and share this petition to be delivered to TEP and submitted to the Arizona Corporation Commission in advance of this critical vote on the future of customer choice and solar in Southern Arizona.

- Kent Bauman

Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/08/climate/rooftop-solar-panels-tax-credits-utility-companies-lobbying.html
http://www.energyandpolicy.org/utility-ratepayers-fund-the-edison-electric-institute/

There will be a rally on Oct. 23rd with the Corporation Commission about TEP's rate increase that will hurt roof top solar. 

Here is the information:

An Arizona Corporation Commission hearing on TEP’s proposal is scheduled for October 23rd at 10:00 a.m.The hearing will be held at the Commission’s offices, Room 222, 400 West Congress in Tucson.

Your voice is needed. Community involvement was a key factor in the APS settlement that avoided a solar catastrophe in the Phoenix area. Without your voice, TEP could get a green light to kill rooftop solar.

Before the hearing, solar supporters will gather at 9am at the corner of Congress and Granada. Among them will be former Arizona lawmaker Victoria Steele.

Who: Solar Supporters
What: Rally in support of Solar
When: 9am October 23
Where: Corner of Congress and Granada in Tucson

Learn more about the TEP rate hike request and sign our petition by going to
www.StopTEP.com.

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