Utility concerns kill AZ bill allowing solar panels in yards, on balconies
Jarod MacDonald-Evoy
(Arizona Mirror) A bill that would have opened up the door for Arizonans to install small plug-in solar energy systems on their back patios, balconies or backyards died in committee amid opposition from utility companies Tuesday.
The measure would have barred utilities from requiring customers to obtain prior approval, pay additional fees or install additional equipment to use a “portable solar generation device.”
Such devices, which can range between $500 to $2,000 have become a new area of legislative interest across the nation as President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin have rolled back incentives for solar, wind and other renewable energy initiatives.
House Bill 2843 was scheduled to be considered Tuesday by the House Natural Resources, Water and Energy Committee, but the panel’s chairwoman did not allow it to receive a vote. Chairwoman Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, said that was because of concerns from public utilities, though she still allowed for testimony on the bill.
More than 20 states have considered similar legislation that would remove the permitting barrier, allowing renters and homeowners to plug the tech straight into their outlets to begin generating electricity and cutting down on their power bills. The generators can provide enough power in some instances to power a small refrigerator.
Utah already passed similar legislation with bipartisan support. In Arizona, energy efficiency is key to homeowners during the summer months and can curb energy bills, which are increasing for many people, as the impacts of climate change are leading to intensely high temperatures.
However, after hearing testimony from supporters of the bill, Griffin read a letter from an unnamed electric co-op that she said was the reason behind her holding it.
The electric co-op voiced concern about devices being plugged into the grid that it would be unaware of, which could generate “clusters” of higher energy output that would be harder to detect. This, in turn, could create safety issues for workers who may believe a powerline has one energy output when in reality it may be higher due to the small generators.
It also was concerned that the bill, unlike the one passed in Utah, had few definitions for safety standards of the devices, as well as a lack of penalties for noncompliance. The bill also does not set any device limits on a household.
“That’s the reason I’m holding the bill,” Griffin said after reading the letter, adding that she finds the technology “interesting” and would like the committee to review it further. She said she’d be willing to work with the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Patty Contreras, D-Phoenix, to craft a different version of the bill for next session.
Rep. Sarah Liguori, D-Phoenix, who spoke on behalf of Contreras, who was attending a funeral, said that Contreras had spoken to the co-ops to try to address that issue.
Advocates for the bill touted the technology as a way to ease strain on Arizona’s grid and provide additional financial relief on energy bills as utility rates continue to climb.
But those arguments didn’t persuade some members of the committee that worried about something else: ugliness.
“Am I forced to allow those or not?” Rep. Ralph Heap, R-Mesa, asked one of the advocates, posing a hypothetical where a landlord would not want to have portable solar generators on balconies for “aesthetic reasons.”
Itzel Rios-Vega, the Arizona regional director of Vote Solar, told the committee that the bill is “consumer friendly” and landlords would likely have no choice in the matter.
“I don’t have a problem with people using solar,” Rep. Pamela Carter, R-Scottsdale, said, adding that her problem is that the generators in apartment windows could be an “eyesore.”
This is the final week for bills to be heard in committee. Since it did not receive a vote, it is effectively dead.