It has been a wild ride for solar policy at the Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) over the past year – and it’s not over yet. PEC staff will present a new solar rate proposal at the November 19 board meeting. PEC members who want the co-op to support solar, instead of fighting it are encouraged to attend the meeting and sign up to speak.

WHAT: Pedernales Electric Cooperative board of directors meeting
WHEN: Friday, November 19 at 9 a.m. (arrive 10 minutes early to sign up to speak)
WHERE: PEC Headquarters, 201 S. Avenue F, Johnson City, TX
Please wear something yellow, so the board can see how many people are there to support solar.

RECAP FROM THE PAST YEAR:

• Nov. 2020: PEC staff presented proposed new rates and fees for members with solar energy at their homes at the board meeting. Staff presented that the changes were needed because PEC members with solar at their homes weren’t paying their fair share. They wanted to raise rates for those customers by 17%. The board members gave no feedback on the proposal. PEC members with solar were not informed of the potential change.
• Dec. 2020: The PEC Board of Directors adopted the staff proposals for new rates and fees. Those looking to install solar would be subject to a new $600 fee, beginning at the start of 2021. At the start of 2022, anyone with solar would be billed based on a complicated combination of time-of-use rates (which change based on the time of day) and demand charges (which are based on maximum energy use at one time and are normally only for commercial customers).  
• Early 2021: More PEC members started to find out about the new rates and fees. Confusion and dismay spread as members realized that the changes would greatly reduce – possibly even eliminate – the ability for them to reduce their bills with clean energy.
• March – July 2021: Solar owners and clean energy supporters let the PEC board know that they weren’t happy with the attack on solar.
• July 2021: The PEC board voted to rescind all rate changes for members with solar and to reduce the $650 fee to $500. PEC staff said they would conduct a value-of-solar study and return to the board with a new rate proposal for solar customers in the fall.
• Aug – Sep 2021: PEC hired a consultant to conduct the value-of-solar study on a very rushed timeline and with no member input on assumptions or goals for the study.

Sign up to attend the Nov. 19 PEC board meeting to support fair rates for members with solar.