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Solar users already pay their fair share
Tom Snyder
Apr. 24, 2019 7:00 am
This letter is in reference to Iowa House File 669 and Senate File 583, the two Iowa electric utilities, and Iowa Solar Fix ads concerning renewable energy production.
First, the ads and utilities are misleading about facts. Arguments for renewable energy producers to pay their 'fair share” and utilities to recover 'fixed basic costs” are all based on fiction recycled many times for the last 50 years. All customers already 'pay their fair share” for infrastructure costs and 'fixed basic service.” These are on everyone's bill now, including producers. That is only one part of proposed legislation and the Iowa Solar Fix ads that is misleading.
The next thing to be aware of is, if you go to the Iowa Solar Fix website, you are automatically included as a 'yes” vote for this attempt to take renewable energy backward to the early 1970s, before net metering. The utilities have fought against net metering. They aren't using the words, but as outlined in the two bills, they are attempting to require you to sell all your renewable energy electricity to the utility before you can use it.
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Write or call Sen. Mike Breitbach, floor manager of the Senate bill, and explain we all are already 'paying our fair share.” We should not be forced backward 50 years in Iowa renewable energy production.
Tom Snyder
Alternate Energy Systems
Dyersville
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