Solar San Antonio's reasons to oppose the fee

  • Given the very low penetration of solar in San Antonio -- less than 1% of the CPS Energy total generation portfolio -- solar adopters cannot be causing any serious decline in CPS Energy revenues;
  • The fee is unfairly applied only to future solar adopters, not others who also reduce their demand and their contribution to fixed cost recovery through conservation and energy efficiency measures;
  • There is no commitment on the part of CPS Energy that once the fees are in place they will not be increased;
  • The fee is not based on any established methodology for determining what reduction in fixed cost, if any, is attributable to a solar adopter;
  • The fee is opposed by national solar organizations concerned that such fees are being promoted by the fossil fuel industry/Koch brothers/Edison Electric Institute/American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and others to impede the expansion of solar;
  • The solar industry is already facing challenges from tariff cases that are raising the cost of solar panels; and
  • Given the serious nature of the climate chaos threat, now is not the time to be slowing the deployment of solar.