Xcel Energy wants to charge solar users

[dnix71]

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/20174458/detail.html

I thought the people of Denver had more respect for alternative energy than that.

I also don't see how solar pv owners are getting a "free ride" from anyone. It ain't cheap to have grid-tied solar.

[wdyasq]

It's all about being 'fair'.  It is not 'fair' the other users don't conserve and have PV panels or windmills. The privileged few that have them should have to pay, just like business folks who take a chance at a business and employ folks to further their ideas and support their families in a manor better than 'average'.

If a family of "X" number of people uses less resources than the 'average', it is only fitting and proper for that family to be 'assessed' fees to level the playing field. Folks who have high credit cards and fail to maintain their mortgages should be forgiven their debt to 'punish' the responsible who live within their means. It is the proper political way.

Guns and the ability to defend oneself and family needs to be addressed also. The criminal element is at a disadvantage having some folks armed while others have no weapons. Think of the enormous benefit to the medical community and health care when criminals will no longer have to be treated for gunshot wounds. (My personal belief is a bit of good gun-control, a good aim and steady hand is a better approach but, is not politically correct).

dnix71, you need to think more about 'the whole' than your personal gain. You are not going to make a good 'comrade'.

Ron

[joestue]

Tom Henley, an Xcel Energy spokesman, initially told 7NEWS that implementing the fee would level the playing field for electricity users who are currently subsidizing connectivity fees for solar users, who sometimes use no electricity in a given month and therefore, pay no electrical fees.

This won't last in court because everyone is already paying for the basic service charge. (His statement "pay no electrical fees" is false.)

On the other hand, using the grid as a "big battery" is at worst a free lunch and at best a flawed notion, that can only be taken advantage of because wind and solar contribute relatively nothing. (1-5%)

10 years from now in practically every state you will see a clause that selling back power will be rate adjusted separately, as they desire control over that too.

I think they fear the day to day demand variation spiralling out of control.

[GeeMac]

For what it's w orth, here's a list of hoops to be be navigated just to become a supplier to the grid here.

http://www.auc.ab.ca/rule-development/micro-generation/Documents/Micro_Generation/Micro_Generator_Ap
plication_Guide_July%2018.pdf

[scottsAI]

People in Colorado wake up.

Your bureaucracy is out of control.

First they charge for collecting Rain.

Now they want to charge you for solar power!

What's next?

Realizing special interest are stuffing their own pockets at the publics expense.

Your government is not doing it's job preventing this stealing.

As a minimum Xcel executives should be personally fined for proposing it, set an example.

[electrak]

Whats next, air tax, you don't think clean air is free.

[Airstream]

That would be under Federal Regulations as it crosses State Jurisdictions...

[fabricator]

If I lived there I'd be headed down to the court house with a torch, pitchfork, and lots of good stout rope.

[dnix71]

I pay $5.33 to FPL whether I use electricity or not. That's the charge just to read the meter and send a bill. Maybe they do it differently in Denver.

The gov't is the loser when you don't use any power. I have 3 different taxes plus a charge to pay for damage from the last hurricane. They are still replacing poles on my street from Wilma almost 4 years ago.

The "franchise charge" is extortion paid to local governments for the "privilege" of doing business there, and for right-of-ways to run poles and hang transformers and wire.

The "utility tax" is a local sales tax.

"Gross reciepts tax" is 2.5% of FPL's income paid to the state (corporate income tax).

Because I'm a small residential customer the peak demand charge is included in the "non-fuel charge."

My bill this month was $15.02

$5.33 "customer charge"

$4.07 "fuel charge"

$3.42 "non-fuel charge"

4 cents "storm charge"

$1.04 cents "utility tax"

Thirty-three cents "gross reciepts tax"

Seventy-nine cents "franchise charge"

As an aside, the city of Fort Lauderdale just raised water rates and added a monthly charge whether you use water or not. Seasonal residents now pay a "vacation charge" just for being hooked up and then pay again when the water is reconnected.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/sfl-lauderdale-money-b072209sbjul22,0,6798720.story

[Yyrkoon]

And you would end up in jail, "taking advantage of the tax payers money" for your free rent, and board

Seriously though, I do understand how you feel, but that would accomplish nothing unfortunately. I think the better way would be to  make it known to the people in office that you will not put up with such BS, and will vote accordingly. Even that may not do the job, but at least it is legal, and keep you from taking advantage of us tax payers

[zap]

I'm not in Denver but am in the metro area and Xcel is my provider.  My bill from 6/15 to 7/15 was $28.28 for electricity.

$13.70 Residential General

(This is my basic charge for 215kwh, around $.064/kwh.  Add in the following "fees" and I pay almost double the 6.4 cents... $0.132/kwh  As with many things, the less you use, the more you pay per unit cost.  A friend who's also in the metro area but in another town was charged $37.34 for 317kwh... $0.118/kwh

The other charges to my electric bill follow:

$2.61 GRSA (General Rate Schedule Adjustments)

$0.22 Air Quality Improvement Rider(cost of reducing plant emissions)

$.09 Transmission Cost Adjustment

$5.61 Electric Commodity Adjustment

$0.83 Demand Side Management Cost

$2.87 Purchase Cap Cost Adjustment

$0.53 Renewable Energy Standard Adjustment ("This charge represents 2% of an electric bill and funds the renewable energy program as required by the 2004 passage of Colorado Amendment 37.  This amendment asks large Colorado utilities to generate increasing portions of their electricity from sun, wind or "biomass" (e.g., animal waste, plants, and methane)

$0.80 Franchise Fee

$1.02 Sales Tax

[ghurd]

I need to look into Federal Regulations regarding all of you guy's out west with big windmills using all my wind power before it gets to me.

Especially the guy's using up all the wind power at ground level.

I think somebody owes me some money!



G-

[OuttaSight]

That is unbelievable.... I wonder how long it will take for my utility over here in the UK to cotton on to this money making scheme.

We pay a connection charge that is embedded in the first 227 kWh that you buy from the utility.  There used to be a separate standing charge levied for connection but I think the government said they couldn't charge it any more.  Anyway, they got rid of the charge but instead charge me £0.23 per kWh for the first 227 kWh used in a quarter and then the standard rate of £0.09 for units above that base number.

If I had a big enough solar system, I could end up paying nothing in a quarter when they really want me to pay at least £31.78 to cover the hidden connection standing charge plus £20.43 for the electric I used.

I wonder how long it would be before they too started to say, "Hang on a minute... You know that power you're not buying from us?  Give us £31.78 for nothing please or we'll disconnect you."

Then there's the question of just how much does it cost to maintain a wire in the ground that's been there for more than 50 years without anyone touching it.

We're dangerously close to "money for old rope".