Colorado PUC Will Hear Appeal Wednesday of its Ruling to Cut Solar Incentives

Examiner.com

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will hear an appeal tomorrow to part of Xcel Energy’s 2012-2013 Compliance Plan they approved in May. That plan sets forth how Xcel Energy (Public Service Co) would comply with Colorado’s renewable energy standard of 30% by 2020. Included in that is how the incentive money from Xcel’s Renewable Energy Fund derived from a 2% surcharge on customers’ electric bills will be allocated.

The approved plan cut solar generation by nearly 50% from 60 MW in fiscal 2011 to 36MW in 2012 and 2013. It also eliminated the up-front incentives homeowners and businesses used to offset the cost of installing solar on their roofs. In addition, it allocated the incentives based on the size of the project.