Photo voltaic advocates stated the Indiana legislature helps utilities eradicate their competitors by making impartial photo voltaic much less reasonably priced. That is the message of this yr’s Renewable Vitality Day on the Statehouse.
Minutes earlier than the occasion, Democratic state representatives tried once more and didn’t go adjustments that might make photo voltaic extra reasonably priced for Hoosiers.
One would have created a photo voltaic group program — permits residents to put money into a photo voltaic undertaking as a gaggle. One tries to reverse a latest Indiana Supreme Court docket determination that stated CenterPoint Vitality might use a unique technique to calculate photo voltaic prospects’ payments, decreasing the credit they obtain.
Whereas rooftop photo voltaic development has been gradual in Indiana, utility-scale photo voltaic farms are doubling the state’s whole photo voltaic capability from 2020 to 2021. Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) stated utilities do not thoughts renewables in the event that they get a return on them.
“They’re much less enthusiastic about us making our personal investments and changing into extra power impartial,” he stated.
READ MORE: With a lot help, who needs to section out rooftop photo voltaic incentives? Reply: Indiana provides
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Bob Rice is the power supervisor for Hamilton Southeastern Faculties in Fishers. He stated the district used much less electrical energy final yr than the yr earlier than, however paid extra for power due to increased utility payments.
In 2019, the district put in photo voltaic panels at three of its faculties. Rice stated it’s estimated that the district has saved $310,000 in power prices in these faculties.
“Taxpayer cash going into school rooms, being repurposed to teach our college students and never going to utility firms to purchase energy,” he stated.
Photo voltaic advocates stated favoring utility-scale photo voltaic additionally prevents small photo voltaic companies in Indiana from rising.
Patrick Regan is the president of Crossroads Photo voltaic, a photo voltaic panel manufacturing firm in South Bend. He stated he would solely create jobs within the state to the extent that Hoosiers would purchase the corporate’s photo voltaic panels.
“And if we prohibit that and we give all the ability and affect to the utilities, you people are going to have a tough time shopping for photo voltaic panels,” Regan stated.
Indiana’s utilities are among the many prime lobbying teams within the state. Because the starting of 2017, Indiana utilities and utility teams have spent greater than $3.5 million on lobbyists to signify their pursuits.
Over time, the utilities additionally donated $70,000 to the chair of the Senate Utilities Committee’s marketing campaign and $50,000 to the utility committee chair for the Home.
Contact reporter Rebecca at [email protected] or observe her on Twitter at @beckythiele.
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