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Rocky mountain power net metering rates2/11/2023 The report said Rocky Mountain Power stands to gain more than it would lose through solar distributed generation. “The choice of using private capital to install solar DG on a customer’s private premises leverages a new source of capital to expand Wyoming’s clean energy infrastructure.” “Distributed generation also enhances customers’ freedom, allowing them to choose the source of their electricity, and results in customers who are more engaged and better informed about how their electricity is supplied,” the report said. Solar’s benefits also include increased reliability and resiliency of customers’ electric service because solar supports backup power systems and micro-grids. “Although such installations are not planned or controlled directly by utilities, from a resource planning perspective, solar DG is a cost-effective resource for utilities in Wyoming,” the report said. The federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act grants customers the right to interconnect solar systems to the grid and sell their excess generation to the utility at state-regulated rates based on avoided costs. Advertisement – Story Continues Below. Reducing compensation for rooftop solar customers will likely hurt the growth of solar, but economics could improve as solar costs fall. Solar owners in Wyoming have high costs because of electricity prices and system costs, and that’s why state residents are slow to adopt solar, the report said. ![]() Researchers found that net metering doesn’t cause a cost shift to non-participating ratepayers, and, in the long-run, utility bills will decline, without requiring modifications to net metering to recover the full cost of service over time from net metering customers. The metric assumes most states have made net energy metering available so customers can receive value roughly equal to the state’s average retail electric rate if they produce on-site solar electricity. The report said the solar value in Wyoming is $170/kilowatt year. ![]() Researchers found the annual “solar value” by multiplying the average residential electric rate by the annual output of a typical fixed array solar system in each state’s largest city. The report said that there are about 10 megawatts of rooftop solar online today, and that’s growing about 3 megawatts annually. The study, “The Benefits and Costs of Net Metering Solar Distributed Generation in Wyoming,” evaluated metering for ratepayers in service territories of PacifiCorp, dba Rocky Mountain Power, High Plains Power, and Carbon Power & Light. Powder River Basin Resource Council, Wyoming Outdoor Council, and the Wyoming Chapter of the Sierra Club commissioned the benefit-cost analysis report. While relatively uncommon in Wyoming, rooftop solar is growing and worth the costs, according to a recent report.
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