The
Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club consists of over 23,000 members.
The Chapter spans the entire state of Texas, excepting El Paso, which
is part of the Rio Grande Chapter.
Located in Austin, the Lone Star Chapter's State Conservation Office
serves Sierrans as their grassroots communications center. We also provide
Sierrans with a full time professional activist staff employed to serve
Sierrans as we fight at the state level to protect and preserve Texas'
diverse and valuable natural heritage.
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 26, 2008
For more Information, Contact:
Cyrus Reed 512-740-4086
Sierra Club Lauds PUC Decision to Delay Net-metering Rule;
Calls on Solar Industry and Advocates to Make Their Case
The Public Utility Commission
approved a request by Commissioner Paul Hudson
to delay consideration of the proposed rule on
net-metering for on-site renewable generators
until the April 9th Commissioners Open Meeting.
In making his proposal, Hudson noted that while
the PUC had legally placed the item on the agenda
last Friday, because of the holiday, there had
been only two full business days for those concerned
about the proposed rule to attempt to make known
their issues.
All three commissioners noted that
they believed that the staff had put together
a rule that correctly interpreted the legislation
passed by the Legislature and that it was up
to those concerned about the rule to prove otherwise.
“We appreciate the willingness of the Commissioners to give those wishing to promote on-site renewables the opportunity to show them that PUC staff has interpreted the rules on net-metering too narrowly, providing all of the benefits to the utilities and virtually none to those with plans to install on-site solar,” noted Cyrus Reed, Conservation Director, Lone Star Chapter, Sierra Club.
Reed agreed that the PUC did follow all of their procedural rules and gave the public the opportunity to comment on an initial draft, but noted the proposed rule did not even allow for the possibility of “netting” or for the transmission and distribution utility providing the metering at a reduced cost or free of charge.
“Now it is up to solar industry and its advocates to show the Commissioners in an objective, thoughtful manner that the proposed rule – and a separate but related draft ‘strawman’ rule on interconnection -- are short-sighted and do not correctly interpret the call of the legislature to promote net-metering so that customers would have the opportunity to save energy – and
in some cases make money by generating electricity at peak
demand.”
