Big utilities try to tilt solar energy market in their favor

Source: Associated Press

Big utilities try to tilt solar energy market in their favor

By BRIAN SLODYSKO
Feb. 9, 2017 12:24 PM EST

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But much of the growth has come from homeowners or businesses taking advantage of its bill-lowering potential. That could eventually eat away at the business of the big utilities — in Indiana they are Duke Energy, Vectren and Indiana Michigan Power — which have a powerful voice and donate handsomely to the political campaigns of lawmakers.

On Thursday, Indiana legislators started debate on a proposed law that in five years would eliminate much of the financial benefit Indiana homeowners, businesses, schools and even some churches reap harvesting the sun's rays. It would tilt the market in favor of the utilities, critics said.

Republican state Sen. Brandt Hershman's bill would overhaul a practice called "net metering," which allows solar panel owners to feed excess energy into the power grid in exchange for a credit on their power bill.

Hershman's bill would lock in a substantially lower rate of reimbursement than what is currently guaranteed — a move that solar advocates say would make it difficult to break even during the useful life of a solar panel.

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Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/d8106e73bc794910b4f86a66005eade3