Rep. VanNatter: Likelihood of amending HB 1320 into a Senate Bill a “long shot.”

Posted by Laura Arnold / February 26, 2015 / Posted in 2015 Indiana General Assembly, solar / No Comments

Indiana Rep. Heath VanNatter (R-Kokomo) is Vice Chairman of the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee which heard HB 1320.

Net metering bill dies in House of Representatives

Posted: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 4:45 pm

By George Myers

Posted on Feb 25, 2015, by George Myers

A net metering bill that many felt would stymie the growth of solar energy in Indiana appears to have died Wednesday in the House of Representatives.

House Bill 1320, which aimed to change the way solar panel owners are credited for the energy they produce, was not heard on the House floor Wednesday, the last day for legislation to clear the chamber.

“Nothing is completely dead until the session is over, but it is definitely dead in the House,” said Utilities and Energy Committee Vice Chairman Rep. Heath VanNatter, R-Kokomo, about the controversial bill authored by Rep. Eric Koch, R-Bedford.

Under the current system of net metering, owners of small-scale solar installations are required to pay only for the net amount of energy they consume, and if owners produce more energy than they use, they are then credited at the retail price of electricity. The consumer also pays a fee for connection to the electrical grid.

Passage of the bill would have allowed utilities to buy energy at wholesale prices, potentially lowering the amount of credit received by up to 70 percent, and set a fixed rate for all alternative energy users.

A slight possibility remains that portions of HB 1320 could be added to an amendment on a similar Senate bill, but VanNatter described the likelihood of such action as a “long shot.”

“The bill would have to be very germane, and I really don’t know anyone who is qualified to go through the whole process, which is very complex,” said VanNatter.

The decision not to move the bill onto the House floor was made by House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, who felt HB 1320 had a lack of overall support, according to Communications Director Tory Flynn.

“The way the committee was handled also gave him pause,” said Flynn.

Throughout the committee hearing, a stream of opponents spoke against the bill, but it was those who didn’t speak that provided the true impact, said Steve Francis, Hoosier Chapter Chair of the Sierra Club.

“The testimony was cut off with still about 25 people ready to speak in the committee meeting,” Francis said. “We pressed that with Bosma concerning the bill and the need for a fuller hearing. A number of solar constituents were not allowed to speak, and they had come from the corners of the state.”

Francis also spoke about the bill's perceived lack of support amongst House representatives and the need for a deliberate, comprehensive evaluation of the bill and Indiana’s solar energy market.

“The concerns expressed by Koch aren’t prevalent right now, because there is no sort of emergency,” Francis said. “This bill and what it involves needs to be looked at in a more deliberative manner. There is a lot that needs to be studied and reviewed.

“Rarely is this work done within the process of legislation.”

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Net metering bill dies in House of Representatives - Kokomo Tribune_ Local News_2015-02-25

Indiana HB 1320 net metering for solar, wind and DG appears to be in trouble

Posted by Laura Arnold / February 24, 2015 / Posted in 2015 Indiana General Assembly, solar / 2 Comments

Solar bill appears to be in trouble

Tim Evans, tim.evans@indystar.com10:04 a.m. EST February 24, 2015

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/02/24/solar-bill-appears-trouble/23930007/

A controversial bill that critics said would slow or kill the growth of small-scale and home-based solar projects in Indiana appears to be in trouble.

House Bill 1320 is not on the House calendar for today, the last day in the session for legislation to clear the chamber.

The bill sponsored by Rep. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, was approved by a 9-4 vote, along party lines, last week in the House committee on utilities, energy and telecommunications.

That vote came despite testimony opposing the proposal from solar business owners, environmental and consumer advocates, churches and the NAACP. The only person speaking in support of the legislation was the head of the Indiana Energy Association, a utility trade groups behind the bill.

Monday, at least eight of the estimated 100-plus opponents who showed up at last week’s hearing, but were not allowed to testify, filed complaints with House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis. They alleged the committee vice chair violated House rules and at least one GOP member was rude to critics.

HB 1320 would cut the amount that power companies must pay when they buy excess energy generated by home systems and would allow utilities to charge a "user fee" to solar customers to help cover their fixed costs of the power grid. The bill also would set safety standards for system installations and allow for leasing of small-scale systems.

Critics said the changes to Indiana’s existing net metering law would stall or kill the growth in small solar generating systems and give too much oversight authority to the utilities. Supporters said it would make solar even more accessible, safer and eliminate an unfair cost shift to customers without solar.

While the bill could stall if it is not passed out of the House today, that does not mean it is dead, said Jodi Perras, spokeswoman for the Sierra Club.

She explained it still could be called today, even though it is not on the calendar, or the House could suspend rules and call it for a voteWednesday. The key provisions also could be resurrected and added to a bill in the Senate, Perras said.

Wasted energy: What went wrong with the House Utilities Committee Hearing on HB 1320

Posted by Laura Arnold / February 23, 2015 / Posted in 2015 Indiana General Assembly, solar, Uncategorized / No Comments

http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/editorials/Wasted-energy-5142304

Wasted energy

Ah, the democratic process at work. A group of citizen-legislators gathers to hear from supporters and opponents of a bill to make adjustments in the way electricity rates are assessed for solar-power users.

Only seven of the 42 opponents who had come to the Statehouse to testify against House Bill 1320 got to speak before the House Committee on Utilities, Energy and Communications.

One of them was Brian Flory, pastor of Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, who quoted Proverbs 19:11 as he urged the legislators to slow down and give this complex, worrisome bill more thought: “A person’s wisdom yields patience.”

But unwise and impatient carried the day; Wednesday’s hearing was a sham. The concerns of an uncommonly broad coalition of opponents went unanswered as the bill sailed through to expected passage by the full House.

Flory told the legislators that his church had been planning to install solar power panels as part of what the congregation sees as its mission to be good stewards of the environment. The money solar would save, Flory said, could be redirected to other church efforts, such as a food bank and preschool.

But HB 1320, which increases fixed charges to solar users and reduces the amount they’re reimbursed for power they share on the electric grid, has put those plans in jeopardy.

Other opponents argued that solar businesses and jobs may be at stake, that solar power offers a clean alternative to environmentally harmful fossil fuels, that the bill would disproportionately penalize poor people, the elderly and minorities, and that the bill wrongly supersedes the role of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

Others asked, what’s the rush? Fewer than 600 Hoosiers use the present net-metering system, which repays solar customers for power they share on the grid at the same rate they pay to receive electricity; the tiny break they may be receiving in electric rates could hardly make a discernible difference in other ratepayers’ bills. Send the bill to a summer study committee, opponents urged. Seek independent research that might offer a perspective different from the electricity industry-sponsored study cited by HB 1320’s supporters. Don’t pass a bill that might cripple solar power development in Indiana before it even gets started.

Two people spoke for the bill, and only one of them, Mark Maasel of the Indiana Energy Association, spoke in support of the parts of the measure that would increase the costs of generating solar power.

The committee’s four Democrats voted no, but all nine of the committee’s Republicans lined up solidly behind the utility companies to send the bill on.

But as word gets out about HB 1320’s sledgehammer approach to adjusting solar rates, the alliance against it is growing stronger and spanning the political spectrum, making allies of tea partyers, the conservative Christian Coalition of America and environmentalists. The Senate may find it harder to steamroll over such a range of opponents.

Indiana NAACP: HB 1320 does not serve the conservative and yet progressive ideas of our state.

Posted by Laura Arnold / February 23, 2015 / Posted in 2015 Indiana General Assembly, solar, Uncategorized, wind / No Comments

small logo.PNG

Contact:

Michelle Nealy

(443) 562-4233

mnealy@naacpnet.org

NAACP Board Passes Clean Energy Resolution

NEW YORK, NY -- Today the NAACP National Board of Directors approved a resolution titled, Promoting Equitable Access to Clean Energy Alternatives. This resolution supports the ability of residential and business customers to generate their own electricity through solar panels (i.e., distributed generation) as a key pathway to energy democracy whereby communities can own solar panels and be partners in the nation’s electricity infrastructure.
Support for this measure will provide infrastructure for job creation and growth for local workers and minority owned businesses in the clean energy economy, as detailed in the NAACP national and 23-state Just Energy Policies Reports released last year.

From Jacqueline Patterson, Director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program:

“In ratifying this resolution, the Board and Membership of the NAACP have affirmed that we can transition from fossil fuel based energy production that is rampantly causing harm by polluting communities. We can improve the economic wellbeing of low income neighborhoods and communities of color and provide avenues for asset development and participation as we chart a new course for how we generate energy in the United States and beyond.”

Kathy Egland, Chair, National Board of Directors Environmental and Climate Justice Subcommittee:

“The NAACP has a vested interest in improving the quality of lives of those most adversely impacted by high rates of energy consumption, while promoting safer, affordable, and equitable energy alternatives and supplier options. Our adopted policy is reflective of our historical civil rights legacy.”

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For Immediate Release

February 21, 2015 at 5:00 pm Eastern Standard

Contact:  Denise Abdul-Rahman, IN NAACP

inecjnaacp@att.net or 317-331-0815

INDIANA NAACP Announces

Promoting Equitable Access to Clean Energy Alternatives

Indianapolis, IN The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) held it’s first quarterly board meeting for 2015.  A  resolution  on Equitable Access to Clean Energy Alternatives was approved today.   “We believe equitable access to clean energy is important, for it to be equitable, it must be affordable” says The NAACP Environmental Climate Justice (ECJ) Director Jacqueline Patterson.

NAACP Board Member and Indiana NAACP State Conference President Barbara Bolling-Williams, was one of the 64 National Board Members in attendance in New York, NY.  She says “Equitable access won’t happen for low-income communities if we have tariffs on distributed generation.  The Indiana NAACP State Conference will continue to support programs and polices that ensure affordable access to clean energy options for all.”

The NAACP calls for government oversight of electricity providers and they should continue to ensure the availability and universal access to clean energy while keeping prices fair and transparent.

The solar industry currently employs 119,016 Americans and solar employment grew 13.2 percent over the past year, making it one of the fastest growing industries in the country. And distributed solar located within communities would bring jobs to local communities as local ownership brings 2 to 3 times more jobs per kilowatt than centralized energy systems.  “We look forward to the solar industry continuing to collaborate with the Indiana NAACP so we may be instrumental in deepening the benefits to our communities,” Denise Abdul-Rahman, Indiana NAACP ECJ Chair

For the first time in history solar may present an opportunity for some low income families to produce their own energy and get out from under the cycle of paying up to 30% of annual monthly income for energy bills; and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) has urged state and federal lawmakers to adopt fair, equitable, and non-regressive financing models to aid low-income households and communities to become more energy efficient (NBCSL Resolution ETE-14-32 (2014)); and the price of solar is dropping so fast that solar stands to become an important avenue out of energy poverty for many communities, provided that appropriate policy mechanisms are in place to ensure equitable access for all consumers.

Abdul-Rahman says “Indiana’s economy will be made stronger by developing policies that are more alternative energy friendly.  We have an opportunity to strengthen our employment numbers, hire and train more of our underemployed or unemployed, and attract and retain the best from our Community Colleges and Universities. HB 1320 does not serve the conservative and yet progressive ideas of our state.”

Energy provides a basic yet vital foundation for economic opportunity and social advancement in low-income and communities of color and included in these innovations are distributed energy resources that can be placed on a home or property and provide electricity directly to the citizen, and if any excess electricity can be sold to the local utility.

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Indiana HB 1320 (2015) Passes House Utilities Committee 9-4 Along Party Lines; Bad for Solar

Posted by Laura Arnold / February 21, 2015 / Posted in 2015 Indiana General Assembly, solar, Uncategorized / No Comments

IndianaDG President Laura Ann Arnold (left) with Conservatives for Energy Freedom Debbie Dooley at the Indiana State House join together to oppose HB 1320.

Bill that riles solar industry passes House committee

February 19, 2015Add Media

IBJ Staff and Jacob Rund, The Statehouse File

A controversial bill to change the guidelines governing Hoosiers using alternative energy sources – including solar and wind power – passed a House Committee on Wednesday.

House Bill 1320, authored by Rep. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, would establish a fixed rate to be paid by all alternative energy users and would also lessen the value of the excess energy produced and sold back to power companies by consumers.

More than 100 Hoosiers – most in opposition to the bill – filled the committee room and an adjacent overflow space to testify and listen to discussion on the issue. The opponents included environmentals, business owners, the NAACP and tea party representatives.

“For the last 10 years of my career, I’ve been working hard to develop a solar energy market in southern Indiana,” said Brad Morton, an Evansville resident and owner of Morton Solar. “HB 1320 takes away any little bit of economic incentive for rooftop solar and puts it right into the pockets of the utility companies.”

Two hours prior to the meeting of the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee, Koch submitted an amendment that would significantly change parts of the original legislation. He said the move was meant to “strike the right balance” and cater to both sides of the issue.

But Democrats and those opposing the bill expressed frustration that the amendment had been submitted so soon before the hearing because it did not allow those wishing to testify much time to review the changes, which the committee adopted immediately.

Currently, individuals using rooftop solar panels are connected to a grid operated by electric companies to supplement their energy on days solar power might not be available. But individuals also have the option to opt out of the grid connection.

Those using the grid pay power companies for the supplemental energy and are compensated a sum relatively close to retail value for any extra energy the solar panels produce and send back to the utility.

In some cases, the money paid for individually produced energy makes up and even exceeds the cost of the energy solar panel owners use from the grid.

The bill’s opponents are concerned electric companies will now be allowed to purchase the extra energy produced by rooftop solar panel owners at a wholesale price and sell it to non-solar customers at full retail value.

The legislation does provide existing rooftop solar owners, other alternative energy users, and those purchasing solar panels or other energy sources before Jan. 1 the ability to be grandfathered into the proposed law.

Indiana Energy Association President Mark Maassel said his organization supports the bill and that it “strikes the correct balance” in a way that is fair to all.

“This committee really does have the opportunity to set the stage for an exciting opportunity in renewable energy,” Maassel said.

Although several committee members expressed concern the bill still had a few kinks to be worked out, it passed as amended 9-4 and moves to the full House for consideration.

The Christian Coalition of Indiana and the Georgia-based Green Tea Coalition also took positions against bill.

Georgia Tea Party Patriots co-founder Debbie Dooley still hopes free-market-minded Republicans will prevent further progress. She traveled to Indianapolis on Wednesday night with plans to meet Republican legislators.

Dooley, the Green Tea Coalition and Conservatives for Energy Freedom have engaged in similar battles in Florida and Wisconsin. She said the organizations operate on a shoestring, but she considers Indiana an important front.

Koch’s bill is an “attack on solar,” she said. “It’s an attack on the free market.”

Dooley, who was recently profiled in The New Yorker magazine, likes to remind reporters of her conservative credentials. She’s currently fighting a gas-tax increase in Georgia. “No one can say I’m not a right-wing radical,” she said.