Solar Compromise Reached in Major Arizona Rate Case

Vote Solar and Earthjustice Statement on APS Rate Case Settlement

Today parties reached a settlement in an Arizona Public Service Company (APS) Rate Case that will impact solar energy options for customers of the state’s largest utility. Renewable energy advocates consider the settlement a significant improvement from APS’s original proposal, which had included a number of unfair and unjustified anti-solar provisions including new mandatory demand charges and discriminatory rates for its solar customers.

Following are statements from Vote Solar and Earthjustice, non-profit organizations that were both parties to the case:

“Arizona’s families and businesses should be able to meet their own energy needs with the state’s plentiful sunshine if they so choose,” said Briana Kobor, DG Regulatory Policy Program Director with Vote Solar. “Solar is an investment that supports local jobs, improves energy security and helps build a competitive new energy economy in the state. We were glad to arrive at a settlement that takes some steps to preserve customer choice, keeps solar customers on the same rates as other customers, and soundly rejects the idea of penalizing all residential customers with mandatory demand charges.”

“We look forward to putting the litigation stage behind and moving forward with all parties to expand clean energy access and provide new clean energy jobs in Arizona,” added David Bender, Staff Attorney with Earthjustice.

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Vote Solar is a non-profit organization working to foster economic development and energy independence by bringing solar energy to the mainstream nationwide. www.votesolar.org 

Earthjustice, the nation’s premier nonprofit environmental law organization, wields the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change.

Because the earth needs a good lawyer.