HomeMy WebLinkAbout20211117Comments(10)_10.pdfFrom:kathleen krekow
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Stand up for solar! Case Number: IPC-E-21-21.
Date:Tuesday, November 16, 2021 8:31:15 PM
Dear Idaho Public Utilities Commission Commission Secretary,
My name is Kathleen Krekow. I own a home in the Wood River Valley and was fortunate to
have the means to install solar on our rooftop during a major remodel in 2018. I am alsofortunate to have my net metering rates grandfathered in with Idaho Power. I write to you
today about the Idaho Power Solar Valuation Study. There is a lot to consider in this study,and the stakes are high! Our climate, and health will be impacted by this study (I have asthma
and am impacted by air quality). Green jobs for Idahoans, and our state economy will beaffected by the study. It is hard for me to understand how Idaho Power can devise and
complete this study in a neutral capacity when it is clear that a particular outcome(s) would beof great benefit to them. I urge you to reconsider this path, and hire an independent, unbiased,
and experienced third party to create and complete a transparent study. As one high schooler Italked with recently exclaimed “Letting IP conduct their own study is like letting a kid choose
their own punishment!” I couldn’t agree more. I installed solar because it was something Icould personally do to help mitigate the devastating consequences of climate change. The
system has performed beautifully and I have the added benefit of lowering my traditionalpower consumption and energy costs. By ensuring fairness in the process upfront you will go a
long way toward providing a fair, long term, equitable solution for all of us in Idaho!
Regards, kathleen krekow
220 East AveKetchum, ID 83340
From:PUCWeb Notification
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Notice: A comment was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Wednesday, November 17, 2021 9:45:37 AM
The following comments were submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Todd Winters
Submission Time: Nov 17 2021 9:11AMEmail: toddwinters@gmail.com
Telephone: 208-226-5780Address: 798 Bannock Avenue
American Falls, ID 83211
Name of Utility Company: Todd Winters
Case ID: IPC-E-21-21
Comment: "I would like to see a strong incentive program in place for distributed solar, and that the study of solar is done fairly and thoroughly, and is made accessible to the public.
Installing solar on residential homes and selling power back to Idaho Power is very important to me."
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From:PUCWeb Notification
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Notice: A comment was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Wednesday, November 17, 2021 7:00:07 AM
The following comments were submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Shiva Rajbhandari
Submission Time: Nov 16 2021 7:12PMEmail: shiva.a.rajbhandari@gmail.com
Telephone: 208-809-3845Address: 721 Hearthstone Dr.
Boise, ID 83702
Name of Utility Company: Idaho Power
Case ID: IPC-E-21-21
Comment: "Dear Public Utilities Commissioners, My name is Shiva Rajbhandari; I’m a Juniorat Boise High and a future solar panel owner. I’m writing today to urge the PUC to mandate
an independent study on photovoltaic net metering for homeowners. Growing up in thethirteenth-fastest warming city in the country, I know how pivotal the time is now to prevent
the Anthropocene. I love to run in the Boise foothills, fish the Snake River Basin, and ski atBogus, and the climate crisis and ecocide threaten all of that. But I’ve also seen more severe
repercussions of the crisis of our time. In 2012, my Grandma contracted lung cancer, anincreasingly common disease especially in Nepal where pollution levels are rarely healthy. It
wasn’t for another few years before I realized that fossil fuels were responsible for her death.However, smog isn’t the largest problem facing my family. Within the next 20 years, due to
climate change, the receding Himalayan glaciers will unleash a water crisis so severe that itwill destabilize the entire Indian subcontinent including Nepal where my family lives.
Although here in Idaho, we will have a water crisis of our own, it pales in comparison. One ofthe most unfortunate things about the climate crisis is that the countries least responsible for
emissions and least equipped to handle the repercussions suffer the most. We live in thecountry most responsible for global warming. Hence, the need for action rests squarely on our
shoulders. I want to be able to have kids knowing they will be able to enjoy the same outdoorexperiences that I have. I want them to grow up in a more just world where socioeconomic
factors don’t determine who lives and dies. I want to be able to look them in the face and tellthem I worked to protect their planet. This is what motivates me to take action for a
sustainable future on a livable planet. I want solar panels because they allow for individuals totake action to fight climate change. They help organizations such as the City of Boise, Ada
County, and Idaho Power, meet their clean energy targets. They make energy more affordableand reduce local pollution which tends to harm the most vulnerable members of our
community. Installation and manufacture employs thousands of people in good-paying jobs. Inthe wake of climate catastrophe, we have an obligation to maximize solar adoption in the
public. My mom once let me choose my punishment for throwing mud in my school’s dollhouse barn, ruining the walls inside the mini-house. As a human being who felt genuine
remorse for my actions, I put forward what I thought to be a fair punishment: a 30-minutetimeout. The punishment that was ultimately decided was a 2 week grounding and having to
buy cleaning materials with my own money and cleaning the mini-house. Letting a for-profitcompany conduct its own study to determine how much it has to pay for its commodities is
akin to letting a kid choose his own punishment: even an attempt to be fair will likely bebiased. The difference between a kid and a for-profit company, however, is that while a kid
has a soul, Idaho Power does not. IDACORP Inc. has one sole purpose: make investors rich. Itis the job of government experts such as public utilities commissioners to make sure that
customers are not taken advantage of by the electric utility’s monopoly. Net metering is a wayfor community members to get involved in the fight against climate change. It should be
budget neutral for Idaho Power, not a way to take advantage of environmentalist “suckers”who install solar panels on their homes. A study on net metering shouldn’t just consider the
value of the electricity minus the cost of the implementation. It should take into account gridreliability, cost savings from reducing the need for new power plants, and the benefits of clean
healthy air, sustainability, and resilience. I urge the PUC to mandate an independent study onnet metering for Idaho Power. Thank you for your time and consideration on this important
matter. Sincerely, Shiva Rajbhandari"
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Name: William MattesonSubmission Time: Nov 16 2021 7:10PM
Email: wcmatteson@yahoo.comTelephone: 208-727-7455
Address: 208 S. 2nd AveHailey , ID 83333
Name of Utility Company: Idaho Power
Case ID: IPC-E-21-21
Comment: "I am looking at putting in Solar Panels on my roof. I would not only like to
produce more power than I use, but also be considered as part of the power grid to balancepower levels and supplies to reduce the need for more/larger power generation and transfer
needs. So I believe that my power generation needs to be fairly considered as supplier to theoverall need for todays and future power. "
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Name: Robert Lonning
Submission Time: Nov 16 2021 6:55PMEmail: ralonning@mac.com
Telephone: 208-309-1783Address: 201 N. 3rd Ave.
Hailey, ID 83333
Name of Utility Company: Idaho Power
Case ID: IPC-E-21-21
Comment: "My name is Rob Lonning and I am an Idaho Power Customer living in Hailey. Iam a retiree who, with my wife, have lived in a solar powered home since 2015. I care about
supporting fair solar options for Idaho customers because we live in an area whereconsiderable solar power could and should be generated, it reduces our dependence on fossil
fuels, and it provides individuals the ability to actually do something about the climate crisis.Please direct Idaho Power to conduct a fully comprehensive study of solar so that customers
can be fairly compensated for the value they’re providing to our environment, economy, andfamilies. "
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Name: Augusta Catherin
Submission Time: Nov 16 2021 7:05PMEmail: asauer14@gmail.com
Telephone: 208-450-9866Address: 221 S 5th Ave
Hailey, ID 83333-5513
Name of Utility Company: idaho power
Case ID: IPC-E-21-21
Comment: "Greetings, I urge you to please make safe equitable solar options available for allIdaho residents. I grew up in rural Idaho and do not want to see my way of life change, the
current climate crisis makes solar a good option. My mother is a first time home owner andwould love to put solar on her house, let us make this possible! Please make sure that this is a
transparent and fair study that an independent company is responsible for the study to ensure acreditable outcome. The study should be more than a cost benefit analysis, focus on benefits
first, and could include aspects regarding battery type and energy usage is also something thatthe study should cover, security and reliability and other environmental issues! This is a great
opportunity to do good, please make the right choices. "
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Name: Carl ErlingSubmission Time: Nov 16 2021 7:25PM
Email: erlingcb@mac.comTelephone: 206-579-7285
Address: 2608 S Canonero WayBoise, ID 83709
Name of Utility Company: Idaho Power
Case ID: IPC-E-21-21
Comment: "My wife and I are Idaho Power customers and home owners. We had 10 solar
panels installed 2 years ago and another 12 installed last week. Given the planet's currenttrajectory for climate warming, We feel that it is imperative that there are powerful incentives
for all home owners to install solar. Idaho Power can be part of the solution by fairlyreimbursing home owners for excess power, and returning "banked" power on a 1:1 KW basis.
We want our grandchildren to inherit a livable planet. Individuals and utilities must worktogether to make this happen."
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Name: Jeffrey Baehr
Submission Time: Nov 16 2021 7:26PMEmail: jeff.baehr@gmail.com
Telephone: 208-391-5333Address: 1590 S Grant Ave
Boise, ID 83706
Name of Utility Company: Idaho Power
Case ID: IPC-E-21-21
Comment: "As a homeowner and a residential Idaho Power customer I am interested ininstalling rooftop solar on my home. However, I am reluctant to take on the financial risk of
an install until the Commission establishes a long-term and fair purchase rate for customer-generated electricity. The current uncertainty has put my plans for a rooftop solar on hold, and
I imagine there are many others in a similar situation. The uncertainty is reducing theeconomic output of skilled laborers in Idaho including roofers, solar installers and electricians.
I urge the Commission to consider involving a third party without a vested interest in itsdecision to research applicable costs to all stakeholders: utilities, customers, and the
community, and use that outcome in your decision to establish the purchase rate for customer-generated sources. Thanks to the commission for your work on this important issue."
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Name: Scott Friedman
Submission Time: Nov 16 2021 6:41PMEmail: sdfriedman.md@gmail.com
Telephone: 410-924-8879Address: 104 Blue Grouse Rd
Sun Valley, ID 83353
Name of Utility Company: Idaho Power
Case ID: IPC-E-21-21
Comment: "I am considering Solar power for my house. It is important that Idaho Power do anappropriate analysis or there should be an independent analysis. It should include the
community benefits in detail including jobs, climate improvement, and health benefits as wellas benefits to our progeny. Solar power will make clean energy easier to achieve if priced
appropriately. Stable rates will make a calculation of ROI easier to perform. Thank you.Please make sure Idaho Power does not miss these important economic factors in their
calculations. "
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Name: Edward ChavezSubmission Time: Nov 16 2021 6:29PM
Email: ecchavez@yahoo.comTelephone: 208-867-0477
Address: 3390 E Parsnip Peak Dr
Boise, ID 83716
Name of Utility Company: Idaho Power
Case ID: IPC-E-21-21
Comment: "I am an Idaho power customer in Boise and McCall. I am opposed to any changes in the net metering rules. I have solar panels in McCall and would never be able to pay back
the installation costs without net metering in some form. I'm also very concerned any change in net metering rules will depress the desire for my fellow Idahoans to install solar. We need to
incentivize more solar power. "
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