Net-Metering Public Policy Research

[(unknown)]

Hello listers

I am hoping someone out there can help me.  I am a graduate student at Cleveland State University in Ohio.  Currently, I am writing a paper about policy regarding net-metering rules and regulations.  I have done some preliminary background work so far.  What I am lacking are good case studies.  What I mean is, I could sincerely use some examples of utility companies and their net-metering implementation, and your opinions (the user) about the situation.  I may even quote responses. The class is an Environmental Policy course, and I am researching into what it would take to make national legislation/policy.

I don't claim to be an expert in policy-making or government.  Recently, though, I am very interested in solar and wind power and it is fast becoming my favorite topic.  If it helps, my abstract is listed below.  If there is an interest, I could email the final paper.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide!

The abstract is as follows:

[wlcoldiron]

 Hi

Give me a phone number and I'll call you . Get your pencil sharp.  WLC

[stephent]

Wind/hydro can compete sucessfully with normal fossil fuels.

The older Nuclear Plants do to.

[vawtman]

Hi Cherrio

 I have the pamplet from Weenergies(wisconsin).I could mail or fax copies to you.

 It doesnt seem that bad has long has you stay below 20kw.

 300,000 Liabiltiy insurance

 No application fee

 No engineering fee

 no distribution study fee.Probably some Fees im missing until i fill out the application!

 The meter spins backwards, so same rate.

 I just need to remove a blade to stay under 20kwLOL

 V......:>}

[coldspot]

Hello-

I haven't tried to interconnect/gridtie or anything yet, and dought I ever would.

Not that far along on R.E. projects yet but getting closer to making "real" self power everyday!

I'll be trying to just be gridless.

Unless things change!

Heres a reason to not want to try it-

"Idaho Power Company charges an extra monthly fee to recover the nongeneration-related cost of the utility. Net metering customers are required to have $1,000,000 liability insurance."

 I think they can go to ----, they forget that they

ruined our fishing with all the Hydro dams!

I like the cheap power we can buy out here but would rather see people make their own, I'll be making more power very soon and hope my kids will also follow along with mastering the selfpower life style!

just an opinion.

$0.02

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

Homeowners can generally do their own electrical work, provided it's up to code, permitted, and inspected.  But I have yet to see a piece of legislation "encouraging" homeowner deployment of an RE system that didn't require instalation by a licensed contractor to obtain the various tax breaks and other incentives.

The extra cost of hiring the work done, alone, more than eats the incentives.

(Some contractors also claim that the fed will tax your "incentives" as income if you install it yourself, though I have yet to check whether that's bull or real.)

Seems to me these laws are welfare for the contractors and limit RE systems to yuppies that are doing them to look good to their eco-freak freinds rather than as a true incentive for "ordinary people".

[finnsawyer]

You have bought into the fallacy of running out of fossil fuels.  While oil and natural gas may run out, there are still vast coal reserves available, not to mention such things as 'tar sands'.  Researchers are also investigating the possibility of exploiting the vast deposits of methane hydrate that lie at the bottom of the world's oceans.  While one can debate the cost effectiveness of recovering and using these alternates, the fact is that they exist.  The real problem seems to be that the continued introduction of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere will have deleterious effects, one of which may be the massive release of methane from the warming of the oceans (that methane hydrate) and the melting of the tundra.  A sudden massive release of methane would lower the oxygen content of the atmosphere, which in turn would be rough on us mammals as we do not have a very effective system for getting oxygen from the atmosphere.  Also, any methane that remains in the atmosphere will be a stronger green house gas than the carbon dioxide.  You need to do more research concerning your basic premise.  Rather than saying we will run out of fossil fuels you might be better off just emphasizing the desire to lower the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

[vawtman]

Oh goodness i didnt see anywhere in the papers about TAX FREE.Iwould hope the slimies(fed)wouldnt tax your generation has income that would be terrible.They would have record of what you generated.Oh no Mr Bill.

[ghurd]

Is it from a federal or state perspective?  Ohio's 'tax break' sucks, requiring a multi-million dollar install to break even on the cost of obtaining the 'tax break'.

And they have the option of un-doing the tax break at a later date.

Do you get 40 miles east very often? Plenty of small solar, none of it grid tied.

G-

[asheets]

The 1st thing my graduate advisor would demand to know is why traditional power sources are "traditional" and "cheap".  The reason behind this, of course (and you can provide your own cite sources) is because:

1. the technology is easy to understand (150 year old science)
   
2. the technology is easy to handle (we can do most of this stuff in our backyards if we choose to)
   
3. the technology is efficient (gasoline manufacture, for example, has very little waste product)
   
4. the fuel is cheap (wind is only now catching up to that)
   
5. the fuel is plentiful (we've actually run out of cheap hydro capacity in this country, but there's plenty of tappable cheap carbon around)
   
6. the industry is profitable (Exxon's $16billion quarterly profit, anyone?)
   
   

Therefore, there is little justification to change the status quo, unless you prove otherwise.

[(unknown)]

Thank you all for replying to my post!  Wow, what a great response!  We all have such busy schedules, but if I could just have a few questions which I hope you don't mind answering.  (those with email, I have already sent these questions onto you)

   1. Where are you located?

   2. What is your public utility?

   3. Are you currently using renewables to power your home or business?

   4. Do they offer net-metering options for your state?

   5. If your public utility offers net-metering, do you use it?

   6. Was it difficult?

   7. Expensive?

   8. What were the hidden costs?

   9. If you could design your own net-metering policy (to make it work for you), what would be in the policy? (especially based upon answers from above)

Thanks again everyone for such great comments!  Keep them coming!!!

cherrio

[(unknown)]

ghurd

Thanks for responding!

Federal perspective.

I am interested in anyone who uses solar or wind.  Please see add'l questions post

[ghurd]

1. NE OH
   
2. O-Ed
   
3. Not really (LED lights, camera batteries, etc)
   
4. I think that's a fed law? Maybe not. Inconsequential here in NE OH... totally
   
5. I don't have the income to afford to save that kind of money
   
6. Yes, just finding out it's a 100% useless 'tax break' was hard
   
7. Very, a large part due to paying the lawers and electrical engineers required to get the tax incentive required to save 10% of the bill recieved from the lawers and electrical engineers...
   
8. Getting the 'tax break' costs more than the savings, and if 'they' change their mind, the owner is still resposable for the money previously saved in taxes. Meaning 50 years from now 'they' can hit the owner with unpaid back taxes. And maybe all the crap involved with unpaid back taxes.
   
9. Simple. To get. To use. To apply. To understand.
   
   

Ever get near Kinsman Rd(87) and 528 or 534? (let me know)

http://www.endofthecommons.com/

Over 100 stand alone PV systems within 5 miles. I never counted, so you can't sue me!

Many are 'unusual'.  The 'locals' do not appreciate unexpected outside visitors. Or any cameras.

G-

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

Nothing to do with generation.  The federal slimes are (allegedly) taxing the state subsidies - if you install it yourself.