20190328Sierra Club Comments.pdf

SIERRA CLUB
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ldaho Public Utilities Commission
472W Washington St
Boise, lD 83702
Re: Comments re IPC-E-19-05
Dear Commissioners,
While we are disappointed that ldaho Power's Community Solar Program was not met with more public
interest, we very much appreciate the Company for working with stakeholders and PUC staff in an effort
to provide additional energy choices to customers.
We believe that a future community solar program offering can be designed to address barriers to
participation and serve a pathway to help cities, customers, and ldaho Power achieve a carbon free
futu re.
Some possible improvements that may make a future community renewable energy project successful
include:
(1) Offering a more attractive economic proposition to customers. Solar prices have fallen
significantly since 2016, helping reduce upfront capital costs. Additionally, as we discussed in our
comments on IPC-E-1-6-L4, we believe there is opportunity to find more advantageous locations
within ldaho Power's service territory that can maximize the locational benefits of distributed
energy resources by helping to defer or eliminate traditional investments into distribution
system upgrades.
(2) On bill financing - Programs elsewhere have demonstrated that payment options which allow
customers to pay over the course of years, rather than mostly up front, increase participation in
comm unity renewa ble energy programs.
Additionally, we understand ldaho Power is in the early stages of launching their community solar
program in their Oregon service territory (per SB 1547) and we encourage ldaho Power and the PUC to
follow this program for any best practices and for potential expansion into ldaho Power's ldaho service
territory. Sharing program administration costs may make the program more cost-effective, too.
We look forward to working with ldaho Power Company, the City of Boise, and other stakeholders in the
future to design an implement a more successful community solar program in ldaho.
Sincerely,
March 28,20L9
Zack Waterman
ldaho Director
Sierra Club
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503 W Franklin St, Boise, ID 83702
208-384- I 023 | [e-mail]
www. sierraclub. orglidaho
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