Power Utilities Add Fees for Customers with Solar PV

A number of thoughts run through one’s mind when an electrical power utility, like this one in Arizona, adds a $50/month fee to all homes that have solar PV installed.

Philosophically, it’s hard to object to asking those who lower their power bills with solar to pay for the privilege of using the grid as their personal battery.  Further, $50 per month is minor compared to the size of the array—and especially the size of the battery pack that is required to “defect” from the grid entirely.  Yet it’s certainly a motivation, one that will cause at least some to make the move. And, of course, every such defection forces those who choose not to go in this direction (or those who simply can’t) to pay higher rates.

The whole question simply reminds us how complicated all this is, and how we need to rethink entirely the way we ask our electrical power utilities to deal with a customer base that is constantly evolving, both technologically and culturally.