$1.4 million Released to DC Solar Rebate Program

I am not sure how many of you followed this issue last year. But in the first year of the DC solar rebate program only $600k of the $2 million allocated to the program actually got spent. After a long fight, we got the DC Council to put the unspent money into this years budget. Boy.. it wasn't easy...Hearings, calls, emails. We made a big fuss. After that great VICTORY.. It took until last Friday to actually get the money deposited into the DDOE account!!!! This is good news, but also miserably bad news. Because it means we have six weeks or LESS to get that money out to people who want to go solar!!

The unspent $1.4 million dollars for the DC Solar Rebate program was finally released into the program on Friday. That means the program suddenly has an extra $1.4 million to spend before the end of the fiscal year on October 1.

You should know, however, that last year, they closed down the program well before October 1st to reconcile accounts. So it may be even less than six weeks of time available.

If the money if NOT spent, It is likely that we will have to go BACK to the counsel to get the money re-re allocated to the program. There will be a lot of pressure to take that money and fill in gaps in other parts of the budget. I know this is a very very short time frame, and a horrible time of year. However, we need to try to spend as much of that money as possible. And we need to get as many names on the waiting list as possible in order to demonstrate a demand for the program..

IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT GOING SOLAR--TELL THEM THIS IS THE TIME. wITH ALL THE REBATES THE SYSTEMS ARE COMING OUT CLOSE TO FREE! If people move quickly they will definitely get a rebate in the next few weeks!. Next year who knows.

Citi Paper Covers Problems with Pepco

Many of us who have gone solar--have problems with Pepco. The NET meters won't come. The NET meters are broken. The bills are incorrect. Would be interested in collecting feedback from others experiences good and bad.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2010/07/29/here-comes-the-sun-d-c-s-solar-power-industry-tries-to-grow-around-pepco/

We are also gearing up for another round of engagement with Pepco and the PSC on net-metering. Did you know that until recently Pepco charged you transmission charges for the power you produced? As we move to variable/peak pricing we need to make sure the new netmetering system is fair to solar homeowners.

We need to build a small group to work on the issue. ANY VOLUNTEERS?? Email me a Solarcoop@yahoo.com

Anya Schoolman/Mt Pleasant Solar Coop