Letter: Renewable energy is good. SB245 is not

Solar panels on rooftops of a housing development in Folsom, Calif., are seen on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020. | Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press

This letter is in response to a letter by Scott Cramer (“Resurrecting rooftop solar: Utah’s dying industry,” March 3) and SB245 titled “Net Metering Amendments.” I am not against renewable energy, but I am against SB245. It seeks to take utility rate regulation out of the hands of the Public Service Commission and into the hands of politicians who are not qualified to set rates or who cater to special interest groups.

I worked with regulators on the state and federal levels for over 20 years in setting utility rates. The Utah commission is charged with making sure that rates are reasonable and fair to all ratepayers, and our commission has kept our energy rates among the lowest in the nation. For years, Rocky Mountain’s ratepayers have been unfairly subsidizing rooftop solar customers through high net metering credits. The recent change in net metering credits has improved the fairness of these rates.

SB245 attempts to add certainty to future net metering rates, but no other ratepayer has certainty that future energy costs will remain the same. It is time to quit catering to rooftop solar companies and to treat all Utah ratepayers fairly.

Bill Hunt

South Jordan

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