Pack The PSC

Carpools available from Missoula.

This Thursday, May 23rd is PACK THE PSC DAY. Northwestern Energy is pursuing a rate case before the PSC which is clearly designed to kill the growing rooftop solar movement. Three-Fifty Montana, Forward Montana and Northern Plains Resources Council are co-sponsoring this event to tell the PSC this just isn’t acceptable.

Under the Northwestern proposal, most ratepayers would be charged 11.36 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity used. Under the current system, rooftop solar net metered customers pay the same rate as everyone else but get a credit back at the same rate, for energy they contribute to the grid. The proposal reduces the amount net metered customers pay and receive to just 6.56 cents per kilowatt hour but adds a draconian and obtuse $8.64 demand charge. That’s right. 8.64 DOLLARS. That’s 76 times the rate non-rooftop solar customers pay. This demand charge is applied to the heaviest hour of usage in each month. Do you know what you use on your peak hour every month? Neither do we and we don’t have any way to find out. This means there is no way to predict what these charges will be and no way to evaluate the economics behind installing rooftop solar. Or buying a house that already has it.

Already have rooftop solar? You will be grandfathered but if you want to add to your system or sell your house, a new contract which eliminates the grandfather provision will be required. What will you tell a prospective buyer? Your investment in rooftop solar will go from a plus to a minus with the stroke of the PSC’s pen.

Care about Climate Chaos? Want to see Montana moving toward 100% renewable energy? Northwestern Energy’s proposal is designed to slow that down and make it harder. They are interested in maximizing profit for their shareholders, not reducing damage to the earth from Climate Chaos. We are headed for a PSC hearing on the rate case that includes this proposal on this Thursday, May 23rd. The hearing is expected to last all day with several opportunities for comment.

Need a Ride or able to take others with you? Use this link to participate it a carpool: https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/5xcv4r If you don’t see anything that works for you, keep checking back.

John Woodland 350 Montana Co-Chair