20250307Comments_1.pdf

The following comment was submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Kevin Ward
Submission Time: Mar 6 2025 6:04PM
Email: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]
Address:2378 W 113 N
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
Name of Utility Company: Rocky Mountain Power
Case ID: PAC-E-25-02
Comment: "I have received a letter from Rocky Mountain Power(RMP)explaining this proposed change. I
strongly urge IPUC to reject this ridiculous proposal!
I paid a large sum of money to buy a solar system for my home about one year ago, and did it by the deadline
to get the highest guaranteed rate for power buy back. I'm paid 9 to 10 cents/kWh for the power they receive
from me. I pay 12 cents/kWh for power I use during the winter when solar is less efficient. Rocky Mountain
Power is now proposing to pay of us with solar at 4 cents/kWh.This is highway robbery!We were all
encouraged to get solar because of the"high need and demand for power"and if we all added solar to our
homes it would greatly benefit everyone in the system.
This proposal says it is to"ensure that customers are paid "fair rates"for their exports and customers
without solar or other on-site generation systems are not subsidizing the rates for self-generating
customers".
My system has run for most of last summer till today. In my paperwork at purchase, it was expressed that
since I made the deadline I would get the highest rate buy back for the power I produce and it would be
Locked in for multiple years...
I now have about$900 in my Rocky Mountain Power balance as a cushion against what I will owe for the
balance of this winter. Rocky Mountain Power is not quite telling the truth about non-solar customers
subsidizing solar customers. I'M subsidizing them! I generate a bit more than I use and they're happy to take
it at a 2 to 3 cents/kWh reduction from what I pay them. I say again, I payed tens of thousands of dollars to
help myself and contribute into the system, and I'm helping non-solar customers because I'm not competing
for the same power,which I know RMP sells to Salt Lake City at a much higher rate. Paying for my system is
costing us about$357/month but our average power bill before was closer to$228/month.That's a 56%
increase per month we are paying! Our tax credit is not even covering the difference!We are subsidizing
them, not the other way around!To me,that means we would pay nothing during the summer and pay full
rate all winter while still being expected to pay our monthly system payments!
If IPUC approves this change,those of us who've paid or are making payments on a$40,000, $60,000, or
even $80,000+system at 4cents/kWh will not be able to make our payments!We will be under water on our
systems and still have to pay continually increasing costs of buying power!That is totally unfair and not
acceptable.To drop my buy back power from 9 to 10 cents/kWh down to 4 cents/kWh is legalized theft! It's a
ponzy scheme where we were encouraged to"help the grid out and add solar to your homes"to now getting
robbed of what we produce.We could lose our systems over this ridiculous change and the money we've
invested!At that point we would have no choice but to sue RMP for our losses,times that by everyone who
bought into the lie RMP helped push!
I strongly ask you to please reject this unfair and totally unreasonable change!
Sincerely,
Kevin Ward