20130606Comments (3 Total).pdf

City of Hailey
115 MAIN STREET SOUTH,SUITE H (208)7884221
HAILEY,IDAHOSSS83 ?fl13 ]H1 —1 4 {:3 fax:[phone]
jL:
June 3,2013
To:Idaho Public Utilities Commission
From:Halley Mayor and City Council
115 Main St.South
Halley,ID 83333
Subject:Idaho Power Company Filing IPC-E-12-27
Summary:We believe the proposal to change Idaho Power’s net metering program undermines
Idahoan’s ability to generate their own power and unfairly penalizes a very small portion of rate
payers whose onsite solar generation benefits the entire electricity grid during peak demand times.
The City of Halley urges the commission to eliminate the system wide cap on Idaho Power’s net
metering program and reject the proposed rate changes for net metering customers.
The City of Hailey seeks to promote energy efficient design,building,construction and operation in our
own municipal operations as well as throughout the community.We have invested a large amount of
resources to remove barriers to renewable energy systems in our local ordinances,adopt energy
emergency and security plans and to create and find funding for programs that incentivize renewable
energy systems throughout the community.Any proposed disincentive or barrier threatens these
initiatives and negates Hailey’s time,effort and expense spent on such projects.
The City of Hailey promotes sustainability in the city’s own operations as well as within the community.
This includes,but is not limited to energy efficiency and distributed renewable energy in new
construction and renovation in the residential,commercial,and public sectors because making our
precious kilowatts go further is still cheaper than generating and distributing additional energy.In
addition,there are significant societal and rate payer benefits to increased energy efficiency and
renewable energy.
The size of Idaho Power’s net metering program is small at this juncture so we encourage increasing the
cap on how many customers can join the program,or eliminating the cap altogether.We also believe
net metering customers are providing value to Idaho Power’s electrical grid and to rate payers as a
whole due to the match of peak demand and peak generation by solar net metering customers.
The solar installation industry and small scale renewable energy industry (micro hydro and wind)in
Idaho is just beginning to expand.Hailey supports the growth of this industry both locally and
throughout Idaho,to serve growing interest from the public,businesses and Idaho schools.A robust and
progressive net metering policy would help create jobs and stimulate economic development in Hailey
and throughout Idaho and expand Hailey residents’energy choices and ability to invest in energy
independence and stability.
By reducing the financial benefits of investing in onsite renewable energy for homes,businesses,
government buildings or schools,Idaho Power’s proposed net metering policy changes will severely
cripple investment in this growth industry as well as limit energy choices for rate payers.The City of
Hailey supports a robust net metering program because we believe it will strengthen the power grid for
our region and as the program grows it can help reduce the utility’s need to purchase expensive power
on the open market to meet high peak demand,which is a cost that will be passed onto rate payers.
Energy Security and Grid Stability
Moving towards a more distributed energy system versus building more centralized generation capacity
and the necessary transmission capacity will help create a more stable and secure future for the City of
Halley’s energy infrastructure.We know that building and maintaining transmission is a huge cost and
has a lot of risk associated with it due to potential vulnerability to storms,fires,and potential domestic
attacks.Distributed energy generation that a robust net metering policy would encourage would help
move Hailey towards a more secure and stable energy future.
In addition,the City of Halley believes:
•The proposed tariff structure is unfair to net metering customers.
•The proposed tariff structure is bad public policy because it discourages energy efficiency and
conservation.
•The proposed net metering changes fail to recognize the benefits of peak load reduction.
We urge the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to reject the proposed fee structure while eliminating the
cap on the net metering program capacity.We sincerely hope the Idaho PUC will direct Idaho Power to
develop a new robust net metering program proposal that encourages small scale distributed renewable
energy generation and is fair to all customers,that doesn’t have negative unintended consequences for
energy efficiency and conservation efforts.-
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Sincer ly,
Fritz X.Haemmerle
Mayor,City of Halley
June 3,2013
Idaho Public Utilities Commission ?jmi
-23
P.O.Box 83720
-‘j IBoiseID83720-0074 UTILIILS
Committee members,
At a time when the world is experiencing alarming carbon increases in our
atmosphere,when C02 levels have increased to 400 parts per million causing the
earth’s temperature to rise and C02 parts to be beyond the long term sustainable level,
it is unrealistic for Idaho Power to seek to discourage alternative power producing
methods while increasing the cost of net metered customers.
The appeal of Idaho runs contrary to the action needed in our world and appears to be
a blatant attempt to attempt to increase profit at the expense of quality air and global
warming concerns.
Rather than selfishly seeking more and more for less and less,this public utility should
be paving the way for responsible action that is geared to long range correction of a
growing problem rather than short term financial gain.
I join with other responsible citizens in requesting that this commission deny this
unwarranted request by Idaho Power.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely y rs,
Dr.Douas L.Lobb
2005 N.26th St.
Boise Id 83702
:••:f
Jean Jewell
From:[e-mail]
Sent:Wednesday,June 05,2013 5:33 PM
To:Erik Jorgensen;Beverly Barker;Jean Jewell;Gene Fadness
Cc:M.Iong.boise©gmail.com
Subject:Case Comment Form:Mitch Long
Name:Mitch Long
Case Number:IPC-E-12-27
Email:M.long.boise(gmail.com
Telephone:[phone]
Address:2463 Eastdale Dr
Boise ID,83712
Name of Utility Company:Idaho Power
Acknowledge public record:True
Comment:I believe the Idaho Power proposals on Net Metering are wrong for the net metering
customers,as well as Idaho Power customers,and ultimately,to Idaho Power.Their proposals
will discourage others from placing solar panels on their home,or providing power back to
the grid in other means,due to the increase in monthly hookup costs,and change in having
energy production credits expire in December,at the time of the lowest production for solar
panels.Solar is dependent on sunshine,a local resource that Idaho has in abundance,and
tends to peak at the time of year and day that electricity is most needed.This production
helps decrease Idaho Powers need to buy electricity on the open market.Moreover,because
it is produced locally,their is little loss of electricity in transmission,so what Idaho
Power pays for,they get.It decreases the need to infrastructure costs because of this,
also.The power produced just stays in the neighborhood.Encouraging more of this type of
energy production will help ensure that jobs are produced here in Idaho by keeping a growing
solar installation business growing.The costs for Idaho Power are also a fixed one for themandtheircustomers;no unexpected price increases with solar panels.And in the long-term,
Idaho Power will have to phase out the coal plants,due to their obsolescence or because of
C02 regulation.Encouraging this means of energy production now will leave them ready when
that time comes,and help them avoid pouring wasted money down the coal plant hole.If Idaho
Powers goal is really to get more net metering producers,this will not do that.If it is
to ensure that net metering producers are paying their share of the infrastructure,they need
to ensure that the benefits they bring to the infrastructure is factored in,as well.I
encourage you to decline all of Idaho Power’s proposals on this issue.
Unique Identifier:64.113.167.10
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