20130305Comment.pdf

Jean Jewell
From: secretary
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 3:59 PM
To: Barb Barrows; Jean Jewell
Subject: FW: IPC-E-12-27
From: Kathi Beflew[SMTP: BELLEW(YAHOO.COM ]
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 3:59:52 PM
To: secretary
Subject: I PC-E-1 2-27
Auto forwarded by a Rule
To The Idaho Public Utilities Commission:
My family and I strongly urge you to turn down Idaho Power's request to charge a higher electric rate for its
customers who are under the Net Zero Program.
We are part of the small minority of their customers who are in their Net Zero Program. There are numerous
reasons why a rate increase for the few of us (300 plus participants) would be unreasonable, unfair, and
discriminatory. Permit me to list just a few of them:
1.)Idaho Power has stated that the reason they need a rate increase on their Net Zero customers is due to their
belief that when we are not using their power, we are not paying for their maintenance and up-keep cost on their
equipment.
Answer: False. Each and every month, whether a Net Zero customer uses Idaho Power or not, we are charged
$5.00 for having their lines connected to our homes. They call it a "service charge." Is this not a "maintenance
and up-keep" charge? This means that Idaho Power is collecting $1,500 plus a month ($18,000 plus a year)
from their 300 plus Net Zero customers, whether we are receiving power from them or not. If the current
"service charge" on our monthly bill is not for "maintenance and up-keep" of its equipment, where are those
charges found in our power bill?
2.)Idaho Power pay its Net Zero customers a "maintenance and up-keep fee" on our power production
equipment (i.e. solar panels, electric lines and panels)?
Answer: No! They did not pay any of the costs to install our power production equipment; nor will they
have to pay any of our costs to maintain or replace that equipment. We are, in effect, a "competitor" of theirs,
yet we are being asked to play under rules that unfairly give Idaho Power a cost advantage.
3.)Idaho Power currently have an electric rate advantage when a Net Zero customer produces more energy than
it uses?
Answer: True! Under a recent ruling by the P.U.C., any Net Zero family that produces more electricity than it
uses in a one year period, must give the excess electricity to Idaho Power free of charge. In effect, Idaho
Power currently makes money on any excess power that a Net Zero customer produces. In view of this fact,
does it make any sense that we should now have to pay more per kilowatt hour for the electricity we buy from
Idaho Power than their other customers have to pay?
4.) Since Net Zero customers are currently helping Idaho Power by giving it excess power free of charge and by
reducing the costs that Idaho Power would have to pay to buy electricity from other producers outside the state
during high demand periods, would a ruling in favor of charging Net Zero customers higher rates for the
electricity they buy from Idaho Power encourage other customers to install solar panels? Would this help the
solar panel production industry in the state of Idaho?
Answer: No to both questions. It would stop businesses and individuals from installing energy producing
equipment. This in turn would force energy producing manufacturers out of Idaho.
If I were to buy an electric car, should I have to pay the oil industry a "maintenance and up-keep fee" (i.e.
service charge) because I am no longer buying their gas? The answer is clearly no, and I could cite you
numerous other examples of why this request by Idaho Power is discriminatory and unfair. It is hoped that you
will vote down this request by Idaho Power, and help encourage solar panel production and installation in
Idaho.
Sincerely,
Robert T. Bellew
7976 W. Madronawood Ct.
Boise, Idaho 83709
[phone]