Idaho Power's War on Solar, pt 1

My previous post discussed the Washington Post story which revealed a utility industry strategy to attack solar. A key part of that strategy is to pit ratepayer against ratepayer... the industry strategy proposes demonizing solar by claiming that it causes rates for others to rise. From the Post story...

"Industry officials say they support their customers’ right to generate electricity on their own property, but they say rooftop solar’s new popularity is creating a serious cost imbalance. While homeowners with solar panels usually see dramatic reductions in their electric bills, they still rely on the grid for electricity at night and on cloudy days. The utility collects less revenue, even though the infrastructure costs — from expensive power plants to transmission lines and maintenance crews — remain the same.

Ultimately, someone pays those costs, said David K. Owens, an executive vice president for Edison Electric Institute, the trade association that represents the nation’s investor-owned utilities. “It’s not about profits; it’s about protecting customers,” said Owens, said. “There are unreasonable cost shifts that do occur [with solar]. There is a grid that everyone relies on, and you have to pay for that grid and pay for that infrastructure.”

Idaho Power's own testimony in their previous IPUC filing parrots this viewpoint, but they are also going aggressively anti-solar in recent local media buys.  An example is their comically inaccurate February 1, 2015 advertisement in the Idaho Statesman.  Click image below to view.

Idaho Power Solar Attack Ad, appearing in the Idaho Statesman Feb 1, 2015
(Click to enlarge)

Although this ad attacks utility-scale solar (not residential), Idaho Power couldn't resist taking anti-solar cheap shots, over and over and over.

"...Federal law mandates that we buy all of the electricity these new solar and other renewable projects produce, even when it's not needed.  The cost of this unneeded power is passed on to you... We are required to sign 20 year contracts with solar developers, guaranteeing prices over that period.  That puts you on the hook for billions of dollars in energy costs... We are required to buy this energy on your behalf, but we want to make sure you don't have to pay more than it's worth..."

Get it?  Idaho Power is fighting for you!

What Idaho Power fails to explain is how they've determined that electrons from solar are "unneeded", while their excess coal/hydro/gas generated electrons are never "unneeded". We know that even with a large expansion, production from these new solar resources will never exceed total demand.

Idaho Power's cheap shots are unfair and untrue, but also transparently reveal their agenda..."the cost of this unneeded power is passed on to you...".  They aspire to turn the population against solar by blaming solar for rate increases. Never mind that study after study has proven the benefits solar delivers to both solar customers and standard customers by delivering much needed power during peak demand periods, reducing the need to purchase power on the spot market or build expensive new carbon-based power plants.

More to come on this ad later... Teaser: When the facts don't fit Idaho Power's story, Idaho Power just makes a pie chart!