On January 28, the Arizona Middle for Legislation within the Public Curiosity (ACLPI) and Earthjustice filed an enchantment within the Arizona Court docket of Appeals on behalf of Vote Photo voltaic difficult the Arizona Company Fee’s resolution approving a discriminatory cost on prospects with photo voltaic. The photo voltaic price is imposed by the utility Arizona Public Service (APS) and leads to increased electrical energy costs for households with photo voltaic panels. APS is a regulated utility that gives energy to roughly 1.4 million households and companies throughout Arizona.
The cost, which APS calls a “Grid Entry Cost,” was first accredited by a 4-1 ACC vote on March 5, 2024 when the ACC additionally accredited a charge improve for APS prospects. On account of the ACC’s resolution, the roughly 200,000 APS prospects with rooftop photo voltaic should now pay greater than their neighbors with out photo voltaic for equal quantities of electrical energy service.
The ACC performed a six-day rehearing in October and November 2024. Throughout that rehearing, Vote Photo voltaic and different events repeatedly demonstrated that the photo voltaic price is unlawful and discriminatory underneath each state and federal legislation, together with the Arizona Structure and the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA), which is designed to make sure honest competitors and promote renewable power sources. The ACC however selected December 31, 2024, to take care of the photo voltaic cost regardless of its lack of factual help and illegality.
“The rehearing was a possibility to additional examine APS’ justifications for imposing a cost on photo voltaic prospects,” stated Vote Photo voltaic’s Inside West Regulatory Director, Kate Bowman. “Now, with a fuller image of the failings inherent to the photo voltaic price, we hope that the Arizona Court docket of Appeals will apply the legislation and invalidate this unfair and illegal tax on photo voltaic prospects.”
As the one regulated utility within the nation that imposes a discriminatory photo voltaic cost, APS’ solar-specific cost undermines the flexibility of houses and companies to put money into clear power.
“As Arizona households face rising power payments and record-breaking warmth, rooftop photo voltaic panels are one in every of their solely choices to scale back their reliance on the monopoly utilities which have saddled them with charge improve after charge improve,” stated Bowman. “By approving the Grid Entry Cost, the ACC undermines Arizonans’ proper to decide on power independence. We’ll hold preventing this discriminatory remedy till all Arizonans have equal entry to scrub power sources and honest utility charges.”
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