Xcel Energy has announced it will construct two community owned solar gardens this fall/winter. Xcel customers may sign up for 25-year contracts and purchase panels (minimum = 1 200 watt panel for $356) up to the equivalent of their annual electricity use. This is great.
In strong solar/renewable programs, payback to subscribers or solar installations is equal or close to the cost to consumers (in La Crosse, that's a little more than 11 cents per kWh). However, the Xcel community garden will pay only 7.4 cents per kWh which extends the payback period considerably. We don't know if that rate is fixed for the life of the program or if it will fluctuate. We do know that the cost of solar energy has been falling like a rock over the past few years.
It's good that Xcel is moving to install more renewable energy and especially in the communities it serves. But remember, that Xcel just received approval from the Public Service Commission to hike the monthly fixed rate on our bills. So, in the end, if the cost of solar drops but the cost of your electricity bill, solar or not, continues to rise, that's not a good deal for consumers.
You can get more information and ask more questions at upcoming information sessions. In La Crosse, those will be at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 14 at the Lunda Center, Western Technical College and at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 21 at the People's Food Co-op.
Dairyland Power also announced plans to purchase more solar energy: http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/solar-s-day-in-the-sun-dairyland-xcel-announce-plans/article_6842a444-51b1-54e8-8d31-006f61a18abc.html
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