November 25, 2015 – Entergy joins the 3 little Co-ops in “claiming” they have reached a 0.5% threshold, now referred to as the “cap” on Net Metering and is cutting it off on 1/1/2016. Read more here:
http://www.gulfsouthsolar.com/entergy-ends-net-metering-in-la/
For more background read here: Another Wasted Solar Day. My recap of an LPSC (Louisiana Public Service Commission) meeting 3/12/2014.
Next – take a look at this short PowerPoint which, not only illustrates the mistakes in the cap on Net-Metering, it provides the solution! View, understand, share, and let’s get the LPSC to make wise decisions. P.S. – I provided this to all of them in December, 2013 and they still voted to keep it like it is on March 12, 2014. Louisiana’s Solar Cap Illustrated
(12/10/13) You would think that now that the LPSC has finally voted 3/2 to continue to allow net metering all of the drama would be over. Unfortunately you would be wrong. Three of the poor, unfortunate power monopoly utilities have been given permission to NOT ACCEPT ANY MORE NET-METERING APPLICATIONS IN THEIR AREA. They are claiming to have exceeded an arbitrary 0.5% cap of net metering to their peak load.
1. The 0.5 cap is the lowest in the country.
2. The utilities incorrectly calculated their cap and projections (hopefully by mistake and not intentionally).
If you are reasonably intelligent (and have had some mathematics in school) you may read on to see what I sent to the LPSC below. Otherwise, just be aware that even monopolies can operate by FEAR and GREED. This could be considered trying to get out of net-metering ruling by the LPSC by using a loophole (and bad data which the LPSC is accepting as fact). It may important to note that all three utilities are being represented by the same law firm. These same three were also called out by the Louisiana Solar Energy Society (www.lses.org) as submitting gross mistakes in their submissions leading up to the net-metering decision and were found in error.
The next link is my response to the LPSC back on 7/29/13: (This is a more complex 21 page pdf illustrating the errors that the 3 utilities made in their calculations) Cap Methodology Comparison 7-29-2013
The three links below show the actual documents from the co-ops claiming they are at the .5% cap.
Northeast Panola WST
My email to Commissioner Angelle after meeting with him and providing him a solution to the Net-Metering debate back in February 2013!
Read this: The two sides of the net metering debate Here is where I first introduced the LPSC staff, commissioners, and interested parties to Karl Rabago and the Value of Solar!
Click here for my 5 page submitted response Jeff Shaw comments LPSC 3-25-13
Update: Out of state groups are now joining in on the fight against the utility “claimed cap” on net metering. This time it’s Entergy – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9tS0o5Zkog&gclid=CPvpyY3qo70CFUNqOgodOwMADg
February, 2014 – We finally won the year long fight at the PSC to hire a consultant to perform a “cost benefit analysis”. Without any input from the solar professionals, the staff issued a Request For Proposal (RFP) that broke all the state rules. We told them and they pulled it and reissued a few days later. It didn’t matter because the language in it caused the three most qualified consultants in the country to refuse to bid. Language in the RFP specifically said the consultants would produce the results the staff was looking for (BIG RED FLAG). Even with my emails and phone calls to the qualified consultants, they WOULD NOT BID.
Somehow the LPSC found 3 consultants to bid, and the least qualified of them was chosen, ensuring poor results.
What do we do when utilities break the law?
PURPA, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act was passed in 1978 by the US government. It requires, at a minimum, that “Qualifying Facilities” (this includes net-metered solar facilities) must be allowed to interconnect, and be paid for their “Net Excess Generation” at “Avoided Cost”. Avoided cost amounts to the wholesale price the utility has to pay for the power.
I am hearing reports from customers that are being “allowed” to interconnect to the utilities (that are claiming to have met the .5% cap), BUT ARE BEING GIVEN NO CREDIT FOR THEIR EXCESS GENERATION IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF PURPA!
I’m not sure I even know what you would call this arrangement because it is not Net Metering nor does it meet PURPA. These Co-op utilities must be stopped. Read here where the LPSC says they should be paying these customers. Why aren’t they?
Let me know what you think about the LPSC and the Net Metering Cap, and our current Louisiana Public Service Commission!
Jeff Shaw