Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Solar Rebate Funding Under Attack Again

The Mayor's recent budget included several reductions for DDOE.  Although the Solar Rebates are paid for through utility rate payer assessments, it appears that the Mayor believes these funds can be used to balance the budget.  So, it is possible that more than $700K will be taken out of the fund that supplies solar rebates.  Attached is an analysis of what is happening.  Tomorrow morning, the Council will be taking public testimony on the Mayor's proposed budget cuts.  There are four items that the Council needs to look at:

1. Ensure that the $800K in unspent 2010 funding be rolled to 2011.
2. Identify where the missing $240K from 2009 went, and roll it back into the 2011 pot (notice that the 2009 funded and the 2010 rollover do not equal $2 million).
3. Ensure that the Mayor's request to decrease the 2011 funding by about $700K is not implemented.
4. Identify a path forward for people that will miss out on this great program (legislation to update the REIP beyond 2012 and offer grants for projects that will be wait listed)

Click Here for Full Analysis of REIP Spending and Funding Availability

 
Hearing Info

B18-1101, THE “FISCAL YEAR 2011 REVISED BUDGET REQUEST ACT OF 2010” AND B18-1100, THE “FISCAL YEAR 2011 SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET SUPPORT ACT OF 2010”.



NOVEMBER 30, 2010, 9:30 A.M.

COUNCIL CHAMBER, ROOM 500

JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING

1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.



Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray announces a public hearing by the Committee of the Whole on B18-1101, the “Fiscal Year 2011 Revised Budget Request Act of 2010”, and B18-1100, the “Fiscal Year 2011 Supplemental Budget Support Act of 2010” on Tuesday, November 30, 2010, at 9:30 a.m., in the Council Chamber, Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.  At this hearing, the public will have an opportunity to testify on the gap-closing plans.  Immediately following public testimony, the Executive and the Chief Financial Officer will brief the public and the Council on their proposals to close the Fiscal Year 2011 budget gap.  An abbreviated notice is given to comply with Council Rule 501(a)(2).



To testify at the public hearing, please contact Maria Villars, Administrative Assistant in the Office of the Budget Director, by telephone at (202) 724-8139 or by e-mail at mvillars@dccouncil.us, and furnish your name, address, telephone number and organizational affiliation, if any, by the close of business on Monday, November 29, 2010. Witnesses should bring 20 copies of their written testimony to the roundtable or submit one advance copy of their written testimony by close of business on November 29, 2010.  Persons presenting oral testimony may be limited to 3 minutes in order to permit each witness an opportunity to be heard. Written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record in their entirety. All statements should be submitted to the Office of the Budget Director, Council of the District of Columbia, John A. Wilson Building, Suite 508, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004.

Monday, November 1, 2010

MTP Solar Invites Obama's to Join MTP Solar Coop

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-opinions/2010/10/solar_dcs_newest_power_couple.html

Solar D.C.'s newest power couple

By Anya Schoolman and Jefferson Morley
Washington

Dear President and Mrs. Obama:

Now that it has been announced that solar panels will soon return to the roof of the White House, we write to welcome you to the ranks of solar homes in Washington. You are just the latest of the more than 100 D.C. families that have gone solar this year. On behalf of the Mount Pleasant Solar Coop, we invite you to join our group or one of the other 11 other solar cooperatives that have formed across the city.

There are good reasons to join. We know that going solar can be a bit confusing. We are a group of about 300 families living in Mount Pleasant, just a mile and half straight up 16th Street from your house. Seventy of our members have already done what you are doing now.

We find that those in our member families usually become energy-literate -- all of them, no matter their age. Not only will Sasha and Malia start turning out the lights, they may have some energy-saving tips for their carbon-dependent parents. Listen to them.

As co-op members, you'll have a circle of neighbors who can give useful -- and free -- advice about how to get the best solar service. You will also learn about the challenges facing all solar homeowners in the city, from Petworth to Palisades to Anacostia to Columbia Heights. Here are a few that are likely to be at the top of the list:

Net metering. Once 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. becomes partly solar-powered, your house will be "tied to the grid." That means when the sun is shining, you will use the power you get from your panels. When it isn't, you will draw all your power from the regional grid. Because you live in the District, your house will have net metering. For every kilowatt hour of electricity you produce, you will get a 1-to-1 credit on your Pepco bill.

What's not so good is this: If your house were to reach the point that it produced more solar than it used, your power turns into a gift to Pepco. That's right. Your excess solar power flows into the grid, and Pepco will sell it for its own profit. At least that is how the rules are written right now. We need to change that.

Your new meter. As a solar home, you will get a two-way meter for your photovoltaic system. Our advice: Expect problems. Some of our members have had to wait weeks, even months, simply to get the meter installed.

Make sure your smart meter really is smart. Since you are the first family, Pepco might install a brand-new "smart meter" at the White House. That sounds good, but Pepco tells us that the new smart meters won't work with solar power unless they get a special chip inserted and are reprogrammed. Based on our experience with net meters, we are pretty skeptical that this is going to be easy. If you get a smart meter, please let us know if it is smart enough for solar.

One more benefit. You should know about solar renewable energy credits, also known as SRECs. They can put money in your pocket (or money in the kids' college savings account). Here's how:

In 2005, the D.C. Council passed a law requiring that Pepco obtain 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. To meet the standard, Pepco buys credits for the production of renewable energy from solar homes like yours. The prices that utility companies are willing to pay for SRECs go up and down as the rules and markets change. Right now D.C.'s SREC prices are dropping, which is a real problem for solar owners.

The solution, we think, is to establish a national renewable portfolio standard that will ensure a stable SREC market all over the country. It's a complicated issue, and we welcome your thoughts.

So congratulations on your new panels. We think you will discover that going solar is the beginning and not the end of the process. Joining a solar co-op makes it easier and more fun. Sign up today, and welcome!

Anya Schoolman and Jefferson Morley co-founded the Mount Pleasant Solar Coop in 2006. The authors can be reached at Solarcoop@yahoo.com.

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