Subsidizing Solar Through Your Electric Bill
Lemoyne (1.17.12) – How do you solve a problem of too much supply caused by government interference in the energy market? According to Rep. Chris Ross and 106 other sponsors of HB 1580 you “solve” the problem by forcing people to buy more of a more expensive product.
From the PA Independent:
“A proposal requiring electric companies in Pennsylvania to buy more solar energy could cost ratepayers in Pennsylvania as much as $3 billion over the next decade.
Legislation, drafted by state Rep. Chris Ross, R-Chester, aims to address the collapsing value of the state’s solar energy credit market after the state injected more than $180 million in grants and loans to stimulate the industry in recent years.
Thanks to abundant government subsidies for solar energy, the market expanded too quickly and caused the value of solar energy credits — rebates paid by electric companies to consumers who use solar power — to fall so low that installations of new solar equipment may cease for the next three years.
“We now have a lot of extra solar installations chasing after very few renewable energy credits. The market has crashed,” Ross said.
Solar advocates say the only way to prevent a collapse of the solar energy market in Pennsylvania is to provide further subsidies by requiring electric companies to buy a higher amount of solar energy for the next three years.
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Since solar energy is more expensive to produce than other forms of energy, purchasing more solar will drive up costs for the companies and will be passed on to consumers.”
In Pennsylvania, electric companies are already required to buy “alternative” energy produced at higher costs. Electricity from solar is roughly 10 times more expensive to produce than power generated from natural gas. This extra cost is passed along via our respective electric bills. As a result consumers in states that have alternative energy mandates, like Pennsylvania, pay 39 percent more for their electricity, than consumers in states that actually let the market work.
If your Representative is listed below as a sponsor of this legislation, ask them why they are going to double down on interfering in the energy market. Let them know that Pennsylvanians will pay the price for it.
Sponsors:
ROSS, SCAVELLO, THOMAS, BISHOP, BOYD,
B. BOYLE, K. BOYLE, BRADFORD, BRENNAN,BRIGGS,
R. BROWN, V. BROWN, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, COHEN,
D. COSTA, CREIGHTON, CURRY, CUTLER, DALEY,
DAVIS, DAY, DEASY, DeLUCA, DePASQUALE,
DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI,J. EVANS, EVERETT, FARRY,
FLECK, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GALLOWAY, GEORGE,
GIBBONS, GILLEN, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, HACKETT,
HAHN, HANNA, HARHAI, HARKINS, HARPER,
HARRIS, HELM, HENNESSEY, HESS, HORNAMAN,
JOSEPHS, KAVULICH, F. KELLER, M. K. KELLER, W. KELLER,
KILLION, KOTIK, KULA, MAJOR, MALONEY,
MANN, MASSER, MATZIE, McGEEHAN, MICCARELLI,
MILLARD, MILNE, MOUL, MUNDY, MURPHY,
MURT, NEUMAN, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PASHINSKI,
PAYTON, PEIFER, PETRI, PRESTON, READSHAW,
REICHLEY, ROEBUCK, SABATINA, SAMUELSON, SANTARSIERO,
SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCHRODER, SHAPIRO, K. SMITH,
M. SMITH, STABACK, STERN, STURLA, TAYLOR,
TOBASH, TOOHIL, VEREB,VITALI, VULAKOVICH,
WAGNER, WATSON, WHITE,YOUNGBLOOD, QUINN,
ROCK, SONNEY,
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