Don’t let TEP penalize solar customers
Re: the May 4 article “Regulators approve TEP renewables plan.”
Tucson Electric Power’s rationale for a waiver from the state’s common-sense requirement that 30 percent of TEP’s renewable energy be via distributed generation is nonsensical.
While TEP might not be able to obtain renewable energy credits as in the past, by securing the rate-payer paid credits that were available to roof-top solar customers, they can purchase renewable credits on the open market — maybe from existing roof-top solar customers. This is called “the cost of doing business” and “paying for negative externalities.”
Solar customers, who are not adding to the negative externality cost of fossil-fuel based energy, should not be penalized via higher charges and less-than-retail credits for their excess energy production into the grid.
Finally, TEP, as a regulated monopoly, should not be allowed to enter the free-market roof-top solar business. But since this is occurring, TEP should then have to impose the same solar charges and rate structure on these systems as on all other roof-top solar customers.
Sonja Stupel
North side
Another cringe-worthy moment in Arizona
Re: the May 4 column “Welcome, Caterpillar, to a state that won’t help kids.”
Huge thanks go to Star columnist Tim Steller for telling it like it is about our ignominious state Legislature.
To call a free-to-the-state federal program, KidsCare, a part of the national Children’s Health Insurance Program, a program that they say would “blow up the budget,” is insane.
How can a free program that would help children of the working poor, and one that every other state in the country accepts, affect the budget? Where is the logic?
Thank you for keeping us aware of the despicable behavior of our state legislators, especially Senate President Andy Biggs. Here was a program that would only bring benefits to the state and to its people, but Biggs “refused to allow the bill to be heard on the Senate floor.”
For shame! There are days when I would like to hide from the world in embarrassment about Arizona’s government.
Gayl Woityra
Catalina
