What Are Washington Legislators Smoking?
Washington has long been regarded as one of the bluest of blue states, a laboratory of progressive policy. A little more than two years ago, voters in the state approved a ballot measure to make it one of only two to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. But a bill recently introduced in the state legislature is causing rooftop solar advocates to wonder what lawmakers are smoking.
HB 2045 by Rep. Jeff Morris, a Democrat, would make Washington one of the most anti-solar states in the country. The bill would eliminate solar net metering – a policy on the books in 44 states that gives rooftop solar customers credit (generally, full retail credit) for the surplus power they provide to the grid – and potentially subject those consumers to excessive new taxes. It would also force solar leasing companies to follow unnecessary and duplicative regulations that essentially make them less competitive with monopoly utilities.
Any of these changes on their own would have negative impacts on the growth of rooftop solar in Washington. Taken together, they could effectively kill the nascent rooftop solar industry and allow utilities to dictate the terms of engagement for consumers interested in saving money, conserving energy, and protecting the environment.
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Rep. Morris’ bill is just the latest in a series of attacks on rooftop solar policy across the country in recent years, all of which have been stymied by overwhelming public opinion and grassroots advocacy. Not surprisingly, leaders in the solar industry and advocacy groups like Vote Solar have stepped up to oppose the Washington legislation. To anyone following the battle over our energy future from California to South Carolina, HB 2045 is simply a dog with different fleas.
“Utilities around the country view more rooftop solar as a threat to their old way of doing business, so they are attacking net metering rather than finding new ways to make solar work for Americans,” Vote Solar West Coast Regional Director Susannah Churchill said last week in a letter to the House Technology and Economic Development Committee. “Every Washingtonian should have many avenues for supporting renewable energy and must retain the fundamental right to choose their own energy future.”
Vote Solar is not alone in their opposition to the bill. With advocacy groups like The Alliance for Solar Choice weighing in with their concerns, the consensus of the solar industry seems to be that HB 2045 is a step backward for typically forward-thinking Washington. This is not to mention that net metering caps have been increased or eliminated completely a total of 44 times since 2001 in the 20 or so states that have them. This has led to unprecedented growth in rooftop solar among low- and middle-income communities and a much brighter future for renewable energy – pun intended.
But despite the fact that solar only accounts for less than 1% of our national energy supply, monopoly utilities from the Northwest to the Southeast are doubling down on their efforts to curtail or outright eliminate policies that make rooftop solar more accessible. They are partnering with lawmakers they support with campaign contributions to draft “compromise” policies that only help their bottom line and harm consumers. And to make matters worse, the utilities are co-opting some solar installers into their strategy in a bit of political triangulation.
Meanwhile, solar customers are left hanging in the breeze, with the pungent odor of corruption overpowering the scent of progress in the Evergreen State – and beyond.
Image: Washington State “Flag” via Shutterstock
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