By Erin Beck, Register-Herald of Beckley
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Democrats had hoped to broaden a solar energy bill so that more people would use renewable energy in West Virginia, but decided to withdraw their amendments to a more limited solar energy bill that was on second reading, the amendment phase, in the House of Delegates Monday.
Karan Ireland, lead lobbyist for the West Virginia Environmental Council, said an amendment “would have been a way for individuals and tax-exempt entities to take advantage of the ability to produce their own power, lower their electric costs, lock in those rates, and would not have jeopardized the utilities at all, but unfortunately what we see is utilities calling the shots and getting everything they want in the process.”
Senate Bill 583, sponsored by Sen. Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson, had already passed the state Senate and is up for final passage in the House of Delegates Tuesday. The bill creates incentive for utility companies to design limited solar energy projects.
The bill lets utilities recover the cost of developing solar facilities in an expedited process. If utilities want to increase rates to pay for solar projects, the Public Service Commission of West Virginia has to issue a final decision on that request within 90 days.
No single renewable electric-generating facility would be allowed to have a generating capacity greater than 200 megawatts, which renewable energy advocates have noted is low. …
