Indiana Senate Bill 309

[RiFl]

Interesting, but figures. Of course the author has to be an ass and throw in political party name calling. Everywhere I turn, the more divisive and polarizing comments I see. We are identifying less by our American values and more by political. Maybe it's me as I age or the technology which makes it more visible.

Expressions of values = politics

Divisive political activities tend to invite divisive political rhetoric.

As long as America is comprised of individuals, "American values" will be a wide variety of values because different people have different values.

[GRickard]

Would the 1% cap stop net metering for existing generators or just block any additional generators?

On a side note, the house version did include language to allow the net metering agreement to stay with the house in the case of a new owner. Before, you couldn't even do that and it would have driven down the homes value.

Greg

[SunEagle]

Sad to see another road block for the private solar industry signed into law.

[DanKegel]

Indiana's governor signed SB309 yesterday.

iga.in.gov/legislative/2017/bills/senate/309 has the text:

Provides that a net metering tariff of an electricity supplier (other than a municipally owned utility or a rural electric membership corporation) must remain available to the electricity supplier's customers until: (1) the aggregate amount of net metering facility nameplate capacity under the tariff equals at least 1.5% of the electricity supplier's most recent summer peak load; or (2) July 1, 2022; whichever occurs earlier.

That's five years of grandfathering, unless it's less.

pv-magazine-usa.com/2017/05/03/deception-wins-in-indiana-as-governor-signs-anti-solar-bill/ begins with:

The solar industry in Indiana put up a valiant fight against Senate Bill (SB) 309, the bill introduced under false pretenses by Sen. Brandt Hershman that will end net-metering prematurely in the state.

In the end, however, the lying side won.

Gov. Eric Holcomb signed SB 309 into law yesterday after it sat on his desk for nearly a month. In his signing statement, Holcomb expressed his support for the solar industry, even as his pen signed a law that could devastate the rooftop solar industry in the state.

"I support solar as an important part of Indiana's comprehensive energy mix," Holcomb said. "I understand the concerns some have expressed, but this legislation ensures those who currently have interests in small solar operations will not be affected for decades."

Decades - or three years, whichever comes first. Under the law, utilities can halt net-metering incentives as soon as they make up 1% of a utility's peak summer load. For some utilities like Vectren, which serves the southwestern part of the state, net-metering could hit that cap within three years.

[GRickard]

I just came across this news article on Kentucky's proposed bill.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kentucky/articles/2017-03-01/bill-to-regulate-solar-power-put-on-hold-by-sponsor

It seems the Energy Committee chairman that introduced the bill has decided not to push forward with it. Seems we have an example of a politician that listens to the concerns of his constituents. My hat is off to him.

[Six4KilowWatt]

It does not surprise me, since this is the same state that supports a very well known career criminal guy named Mitch...fill in the blanks.

[GRickard]

I read the same thing.

[SunEagle]

The Indiana bill was voted on and passed the Senate (39 to 9) yesterday. It has now been referred to the House.

According to the article I just read the part about "buy all sell all" was removed from that bill.

[GRickard]

The Indiana bill was voted on and passed the Senate (39 to 9) yesterday. It has now been referred to the House.

[DanKegel]

Interesting, but figures. Of course the author has to be an ass and throw in political party name calling. Everywhere I turn, the more divisive and polarizing comments I see. We are identifying less by our American values and more by political. Maybe it's me as I age or the technology which makes it more visible.

This line sticks out as something that a neutral technical site shouldn't write: "stole a page out of the national Republican playbook to defend the falsehood."
Regardless of whether you think it's true, offending half your readers is not a good idea if you want to be trusted.

It's not social media; the author is identified, and the site tries to be fair. I'll ping them and see what they say.

[SunEagle]

Interesting, but figures. Of course the author has to be an ass and throw in political party name calling. Everywhere I turn, the more divisive and polarizing comments I see. We are identifying less by our American values and more by political. Maybe it's me as I age or the technology which makes it more visible.

Social media makes it much easier to say things that are not very nice with the ability to hide behind a mask and not reveal our identity.

[cebury]

Interesting, but figures. Of course the author has to be an ass and throw in political party name calling. Everywhere I turn, the more divisive and polarizing comments I see. We are identifying less by our American values and more by political. Maybe it's me as I age or the technology which makes it more visible.

[DanKegel]

There seems to be some controversy, and harsh words, about the Indiana bill:
pv-magazine-usa.com/2017/02/27/lies-provoke-backlash-on-indiana-solar-bill/

[GRickard]

I did some searching yesterday and found that my home state of Kentucky also has a bill in committee that affects the solar industry.

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/17RS/SB214/bill.pdf

While it's nowhere near as bad as Indiana's, if I'm reading it right, it would give the utilities the ability to set a whole different rate structure for customers with solar. That concerns me. Maybe someone here can make sense of it better than I can.

Greg

[J.P.M.]

Sanity prevails, thanks DanS26

FWIW, reference the 1st paragraph of the 3d paragraph of my 02/21/2017, 2:06 P.M. post.