Fee for self-generated energy is greedy
Solar power is the future of electricity production. According to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, the state ranks 11th in the nation for solar capacity and this usage is growing quickly. Coloradans’ use of solar power increased faster than in 43 other states, as of 2020.
Not only is solar power better for the planet, but also it is better for Coloradoans’ pocketbooks. The average Colorado household save can save thousands of dollars in power consumption over the lifetime of each solar panel they use. Given these benefits, it’s hard to imagine why someone wouldn’t choose to install panels on their roof. That is unless they live in the City of Loveland.
Loveland Water and Power, the utility owned by the city, actively punishes Loveland residents for installing solar panels on their roofs. While the municipal utility imposes a monthly base fee of $16.05 for residents without solar panels, depending on the capacity of self-generation, that base fee can rise to $26.36 for residents generating their own solar power. That amounts to a $124 annual fee for investing in green power, investing in homes, and investing in Colorado.
I moved to Loveland in 2017, and solar power was not on my radar. But after years of hearing stories from friends and family members who put panels on their roofs, I started to investigate making this investment in my own home. Last year, I purchased 18 solar panels for my roof and am very proud to say that my panels have been generating an average of 900-kilowatt hours in electricity. That’s power that didn’t have to be generated by coal or other fossil fuels. It is clean, sustainable power from the sun.
The City of Loveland’s municipal utility put a damper on that joy by penalizing me and every single other resident who chooses to invest in our community by installing solar panels. On its website, the utility claims that it strives to be recognized by the community “for excellence and integrity.” When I look at my utility bill and see a penalty for generating solar power, I see neither excellence nor integrity. All I see is greed and injustice. All I see is a municipal utility that would rather put money in the pockets of fossil fuel companies than support its residents’ efforts to create a greener, cleaner Colorado.
— Linda Leiseca, Loveland