Puerto Rico wants to tax people for Solar generation

[MontyFloyd]

Looks like it is a trend among utilities, to charge people for free power.

Ferrer noted that the Puerto Rico House and Senate passed a joint resolution last November expressing “the wholehearted rejection” of a proposed Restructuring Support Agreement (RSA) that includes the solar tax.

The RSA is a proposal to settle with the owners of $9 billion in face value of bonds issued by the Puerto Rico utility PREPA. The RSA would add a “transition charge” on PREPA customers’ bills of at least 2.8¢/kWh, rising through 2044 to 4.6¢/kWh, “gravely impacting” all electricity consumers, Ferrer said.

Ferrer highlighted the RSA’s provision that consumers who produce any of their own electricity from a new PV system would be required to pay the new charge not only on power purchased from the grid, but also on their own self-generated power. PV systems that were installed by September 2020 would be exempted, but could lose the exemption under certain conditions.

Puerto Rico legislator calls on US Congress to prevent an “illegal tax” on Puerto Rico solar

Puerto Rico legislator Héctor Ferrer called on Congress to use its oversight authority over Puerto Rico’s fiscal oversight board to oppose a proposed fee on rooftop solar power.

pv-magazine-usa.com

 

[gnuarm]

Sounds pretty crazy to me. Does it also apply to solar generation that is not connected to the grid?

 

[Tam]

...Looks like it is a trend among utilities, to charge people for free power...

I don't know about other countries but in the US, the utilities want to monopolize the power generation so it would make some kinds of excuses to charge fees for private power generations.

It has always been their goal but the public needs to be organized to push back.

California was on the verge to let the utilities do that but due to public pressure, it's holding back the introduction.

 

[MontyFloyd]

California was on the verge to let the utilities do that but due to public pressure, it's holding back the introduction.

Still could happen, in some form.

Fossil Fuel Strikes Back!

 

[Tam]

Still could happen, in some form.

Fossil Fuel Strikes Back!

Yes. That's the problem. That's why the public needs to be organized and fight back the monopolistic behaviors from utilities.

 

[gnuarm]

Yes. That's the problem. That's why the public needs to be organized and fight back the monopolistic behaviors from utilities.

I think there will be enough public resistance to prevent this sort of action in most states. However, some states have rolled back their laws regarding net metering. Those who bought larger systems in order to sell to the utility are not happy about that. Not at all the same thing as a tax on the solar.

If I ever have a solar system put it, it will be large enough that I can just get off the grid. Maybe combine it with a windmill to even out the availability. You don't hear much about that though. It's all about batteries.

 

[mspohr]

More information on solar in PR.

Puerto Ricans are powering their own rooftop solar boom

Residents and shop owners in Puerto Rico are installing solar-plus-battery systems in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Will the government get on board?

www.canarymedia.com

Spearheaded largely by residents, business owners and philanthropies, the grassroots solar movement sweeping the island is happening despite headwinds from the territory’s centralized utility — which claims it’s working to advance the island’s clean energy goals but continues investing in fossil fuels. Solar proponents say that, for the technology to reach most of Puerto Rico’s 3.2 million people, the government and its utility will need to more fully participate in what has largely been a bottom-up energy transformation. With billions of federal recovery dollars set to flow to Puerto Rico, they argue that now is the time for public policies and investments that shift the island away from an outdated model of large, far-flung power plants to one that supplies clean electricity close to where people need it.

“We call this an energy insurrection,” he adds. “Even though in California and other states, you have incentives to help people [go solar], in Puerto Rico, we don’t. And yet people are doing it here because we’re confronting climate change in a hard way, and we’re confronting a utility that people can’t rely on.”

 

[CrazyRabbit]

solar, what solar!

 

[CrazyRabbit]

solar, what solar!

this isn't the solar you're looking for, now move along...

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

I don't know about other countries but in the US, the utilities want to monopolize the power generation so it would make some kinds of excuses to charge fees for private power generations.

It has always been their goal but the public needs to be organized to push back.

California was on the verge to let the utilities do that but due to public pressure, it's holding back the introduction.

The companies are the same everywhere. It's just the politics that varies.

 

[Big Earl]

I applaud the residents and businesses of Puerto Rico for taking energy generation into their own hands when the power authority failed them after Hurricane Maria devastated the island's infrastructure.

Investing in solar now also insulates Puerto Rico's economy from wild fluctuations in fuel prices. Most of their power generation comes from fuel oil, and we've all seen what's happening with prices lately. Fun fact (from Wikipedia): all of PR's publicly owned power generation is either diesel or heavy fuel oil.

 

[mspohr]

The companies are the same everywhere. It's just the politics that varies.

Really shouldn't have private for profit companies operating public monopoly utilities.
Leads to all kinds of corruption

 

[gnuarm]

More information on solar in PR.

Puerto Ricans are powering their own rooftop solar boom

Residents and shop owners in Puerto Rico are installing solar-plus-battery systems in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Will the government get on board?

www.canarymedia.com

Spearheaded largely by residents, business owners and philanthropies, the grassroots solar movement sweeping the island is happening despite headwinds from the territory’s centralized utility — which claims it’s working to advance the island’s clean energy goals but continues investing in fossil fuels. Solar proponents say that, for the technology to reach most of Puerto Rico’s 3.2 million people, the government and its utility will need to more fully participate in what has largely been a bottom-up energy transformation. With billions of federal recovery dollars set to flow to Puerto Rico, they argue that now is the time for public policies and investments that shift the island away from an outdated model of large, far-flung power plants to one that supplies clean electricity close to where people need it.

“We call this an energy insurrection,” he adds. “Even though in California and other states, you have incentives to help people [go solar], in Puerto Rico, we don’t. And yet people are doing it here because we’re confronting climate change in a hard way, and we’re confronting a utility that people can’t rely on.”

I don't know who wrote this article, but it sounds like he doesn't live in Puerto Rico or even spend much time here. I can count on one hand the number of solar installations I've seen, and two of those were at power generation farms.

The per capita income in Puerto Rico is around $13,000 and the median household income is $21,000. There's not much disposable income to pay for solar panels. People here typically don't even have true hot water in their homes, using solar heating without electric augmentation. I've been using Airbnb for the last year to explore the island, and maybe 15% tops have even had hot water at the kitchen sink!

The grid here has many issues. The power is not out every other week, but it has failed at some point (for more than 15 minutes) in maybe a third of the places I've been in. One place also has frequent water outages, maybe twice a month. Water tanks and generators are very common here, if they can afford them.

I don't think many people are going to be installing solar panels on their homes in Puerto Rico. This will mostly be the ex-pat community (literary license use of the term) that has money enough to do something this expensive.

 

[gnuarm]

I applaud the residents and businesses of Puerto Rico for taking energy generation into their own hands when the power authority failed them after Hurricane Maria devastated the island's infrastructure.

Investing in solar now also insulates Puerto Rico's economy from wild fluctuations in fuel prices. Most of their power generation comes from fuel oil, and we've all seen what's happening with prices lately. Fun fact (from Wikipedia): all of PR's publicly owned power generation is either diesel or heavy fuel oil.

View attachment 815806

I wasn't aware that the coal power plant is privately owned. I drove into that once. Seems they have a back door that is not shut. I was able to drive down to where the conveyor belts carry the coal some 40 feet in the air from the dock where it is unloaded, to the plant where it is stored and used. Interesting to see. There are also a few acres of solar panels there. They have some large wind turbines along the south coast that are running. Some along the east coast were knocked out by Maria and not yet put back in service.

 

[gnuarm]

Really shouldn't have private for profit companies operating public monopoly utilities.
Leads to all kinds of corruption

I don't follow. Every place I know of in the US has for profit companies proving electricity. They don't seem to be corrupt to me. They are profit oriented, and I think that's going to cost us with the changes that are not required for BEV charging. Yeah, that's what I meant to say.

I think we can charge BEVs with very little change in the grid. I expect the utilities will find ways to make it expensive. I'm told their allowed profits are based on their capital investment. They are going to find excuses for investing more capital and raising profits and potentially rates. There may need to be some sort of management of charging time vs. the availability of power. That doesn't need to be expensive, but it can be made so.

 

[mspohr]

I don't follow. Every place I know of in the US has for profit companies proving electricity. They don't seem to be corrupt to me. They are profit oriented, and I think that's going to cost us with the changes that are not required for BEV charging. Yeah, that's what I meant to say.

I think we can charge BEVs with very little change in the grid. I expect the utilities will find ways to make it expensive. I'm told their allowed profits are based on their capital investment. They are going to find excuses for investing more capital and raising profits and potentially rates. There may need to be some sort of management of charging time vs. the availability of power. That doesn't need to be expensive, but it can be made so.

All the private electric utilities are bribing politicians to kill residential solar. They don't want competition so they can keep prices high.

 

[mspohr]

I don't know who wrote this article, but it sounds like he doesn't live in Puerto Rico or even spend much time here. I can count on one hand the number of solar installations I've seen, and two of those were at power generation farms.

The per capita income in Puerto Rico is around $13,000 and the median household income is $21,000. There's not much disposable income to pay for solar panels. People here typically don't even have true hot water in their homes, using solar heating without electric augmentation. I've been using Airbnb for the last year to explore the island, and maybe 15% tops have even had hot water at the kitchen sink!

The grid here has many issues. The power is not out every other week, but it has failed at some point (for more than 15 minutes) in maybe a third of the places I've been in. One place also has frequent water outages, maybe twice a month. Water tanks and generators are very common here, if they can afford them.

I don't think many people are going to be installing solar panels on their homes in Puerto Rico. This will mostly be the ex-pat community (literary license use of the term) that has money enough to do something this expensive.

Not everyone in PR is poor.
As of January 2022, some 42,000 rooftop solar systems were enrolled in the island’s net-metering program — more than eight times the number at the end of 2016, the year before Hurricane Maria struck the island, according to utility data. Thousands more systems are operating but are not officially counted because, like the center’s unit, they aren’t connected to the grid.

 

[gnuarm]

All the private electric utilities are bribing politicians to kill residential solar. They don't want competition so they can keep prices high.

Do you have any evidence of that? Anything at all? According to practically everyone I've talked to, everyone in Puerto Rico receives bribes for everything. Every problem is because of bribes. But they never have any basis for stating that. No evidence at all. It's not like no one is ever caught taking bribes. But how is that different from anywhere else?

I think the assumption of bribes is a cultural thing, like the security measures and the speed bumps. Every home has bars on the windows, probably because if everyone else has them, you don't want to be the low-hanging fruit. Speed bumps are three or more per residential block, because if they didn't have speed bumps you have to slow down to 5 mph to go over, "they would all be doing 50 mph!" Yeah, I've been told that. There's no tendency to drive fast on the residential roads that don't have speed bumps. It's just a mind set that they need them.

Many people believe lots of things without evidence. I try not to be like that.

 

[mspohr]

Do you have any evidence of that? Anything at all? According to practically everyone I've talked to, everyone in Puerto Rico receives bribes for everything. Every problem is because of bribes. But they never have any basis for stating that. No evidence at all. It's not like no one is ever caught taking bribes. But how is that different from anywhere else?

I think the assumption of bribes is a cultural thing, like the security measures and the speed bumps. Every home has bars on the windows, probably because if everyone else has them, you don't want to be the low-hanging fruit. Speed bumps are three or more per residential block, because if they didn't have speed bumps you have to slow down to 5 mph to go over, "they would all be doing 50 mph!" Yeah, I've been told that. There's no tendency to drive fast on the residential roads that don't have speed bumps. It's just a mind set that they need them.

Many people believe lots of things without evidence. I try not to be like that.

Not just PR, in California, utilities give politicians money. Politicians give them the rules they want.

 

[gnuarm]

Not just PR, in California, utilities give politicians money. Politicians give them the rules they want.

That's not bribery and is publically known. You don't have to vote for a politician that accepts money from any given group, and many do exactly that. Others vote for politicians because they take money from their pet groups.