20130417Comment.pdf

Jean Jewell
From: dcmelvingmafl.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 8:07 AM
To: Jean Jewell; Beverly Barker; Gene Fadness
Subject: PUC Comment Form
A Comment from Carrie Melvin follows:
Case Number: P-iE-/--a'7
Name: Carrie Melvin
Address: 1450 Candleridge Dr
City: Boise
State: ID
Zip: 83712
Daytime Telephone: [phone]
Contact E-Mail: dcmelvin(@gmail.com
Name of Utility Company: Idaho Power
Acknowledge: acknowledge
Please describe your comment briefly:
Over the past summer, we made a major investment in our home to have solar panels installed.
We took this step both for long-term financial savings on energy costs, and because we feel
it is the right thing to do, to take advantage of Idaho's abundant natural resource,
sunshine, to lower our family's carbon footprint.
Now, we are feeling unjustly penalized as net-metering customers due to the changes Idaho
Power has made recently to change the way solar customers are treated. The monthly fixed-fee
increase seems like a penalty - why are we paying a fixed monthly cost
4 to 5 times higher than our neighbors who have made no investment in solar power?
Particularly when our excess power production, most likely in summer when need is greatest,
goes to the grid and provides those same neighbors with power much cheaper than that Idaho
Power can provide? It seems also unfair that any power credits we earn through excess power
production are 1) bought back from Idaho power at a rate less than their value, and 2)
subject to expiration arbitrarily set for the end of the calendar year, just prior to the
winter months when we would use them?
I think Idaho Power should be working with, not against, paying customers who are helping
provide energy solutions in our state. We expect fair treatment!
The form submitted on http://www.puc.idaho.gov/forms/ipuci/ipuc.html
IP address is 69.92.254.36
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