20230711Comments_2.pdf

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The following comment was submited via PUCWeb:

Name: Cynthia Carr
Submission Time: Jul 11 2023 8:39AM
Email: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]
Address: 133 Willow Road
Hailey, ID 83344

Name of U�lity Company: Idaho Power

Case ID: IPC-E-23-14

Comment: "Please provide virtual access to public hearings. Most of us have had to learn the virtual
world of mee�ng. Surely Idaho Power can offer its rural customers the opportunity to atend mee�ngs
this way.
Thank you."
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2023 UL l 0 PM I:40 James H Swain
15¾11746 W Flamingo
Nampa,Idaho 83651
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
11331 W Chindon Blvd,Building 8,Suite 201-A
Boise ,Idaho 83714
I would request that this letter be included into the testimony for the committee
studying the requested changes by IdaCorps/Idaho Power offering to on site
electrical energy produced by home owners with rooftop panels:
Full disclosure,I am a customer and a stock holder of IdaCorps/ldaho Power.This
also positions me to somewhat better understand both sides of this discussion.
Our Nation and our State have made an unequivocal commitment to lower our
national and local carbon footprint.Personal investment toward individual
electrical power generation is one of the cornerstones of this commitment and as
such needs to be clearly and fully supported by all players in energy production
and distribution systemfrom the PUCs to the individual producers.
First,Idaho Power is entitled to some form of compensation for their having built
and for their maintenance of the electrical grid.However,those individuals who
have invested in the improvement of their property,their contributions to the
improvement of our power production and our movement toward 'Net Zero'
carbon emissions also deserve fair consideration.These solar installations are not
inexpensive,have a limited production life and have maintenance costs too.Keep
in mind,every single 'on site'generation system is a producer that Idaho Power
does not have to finance,build,or maintain.The entire cost is paid by the 'on
site'owner at great savingsto the Idaho Power company.
Idaho Power has chosen to request a changefrom 'net monthly to real-time
billing'and a 'change in the excess exported energy credit from a kWh credit
ranging in value of 5 to 12 cents ....To a time differentiated financial bill
credit...etc'
I find these changesto be unfair.Consider that Idaho Power is a commercial,
publicly held company that makes a profit (remember,I am a stockholder that
receives dividends),makes a substantial contribution to the public good and
requires public support for its successful endeavors.On site generation is
arguably producing during the slack times of power utilization:people are at
work,and not running home appliances,but are in buildings that are running their
seasonal heat/air conditioning at peak energy use during those times.Idaho
Power needs to be compensating the 'on site'consumer/producer in a way that
encourages more local consumers to invest in the production of energy and not
use the grid maintenance as an excuse to position itself in a manner that projects
itself as an adversaryto 'on site'production.
For example:Excess energy production at certain times of the day could
conceivably be utilized to pump water from below the storage dams back up to
the turbine pools after it has been run through the turbines the first time --
recycle the energy.I fully understand that river flows at certain CFS levels are
required to meet the needs of anadromous fish and irrigation but let's make this a
win,win solution and not be narrowly focused.
To summarize,Idaho Power needs to be seen as a supporter of the movement to
'Net Zero'carbon production and not have one sided,adversarial approach to the
'on site'producer.How would Idaho Power approach a formula that required it
to buy the power produced on site at 20 cents per kWh and sell it back at 5 cents
per kWh?My recommendation is that a system be approved that allows Idaho
Power some fair compensation for access to the grid but continues to reward the
'on site'producers for their significant personal financial investment to clean
energy production and their contribution to moving all of us toward the Holy Grail
of Net Zero carbon emissions.Thank you for your time and consideration.
James H Swain,MPT,LTC (R)
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