In Colorado Springs, will rooftop solar be protected — or punished?
- Advocacy,
- Energy democracy & policy
If you’re a Colorado Springs resident who invested in rooftop solar to save money and help the environment, there’s a proposal on the table that would be a one-two punch: slashing the credit you receive for the clean energy your panels produce and drastically increasing your solar’s payback period.
We believe this policy deserves a closer look, and we need your help to make sure decision-makers understand what’s at stake.
What’s being proposed
Right now, Colorado Springs has what’s called “one-to-one net metering.” With this system, when your solar panels produce more electricity than you use, you get credited at the same rate you pay for electricity: a fair exchange.
Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) is proposing to replace that system with a new rate structure that includes:
- A new “demand charge” based on your highest electricity usage during the month — even when your solar panels are producing power.
- Higher daily fees just to stay connected to the grid.
- Reduced credit for the clean energy you’re generating.
If approved, solar would deliver significantly less financial value to the families and businesses in Colorado Springs who’ve invested in it — and it would make going solar much less attractive for anyone considering it in the future.
What this means for solar owners
Colorado Springs resident Charles Peterson understands this impact personally. A few years ago, he and his wife refinanced their home and spent $16,000 to install solar panels. Charles and his wife are retired and living on Social Security, and solar seemed like the smart way to keep their electricity bills manageable.
“Our investment in rooftop solar creates free infrastructure for Colorado Springs Utilities and all of its customers,” Charles explains. “Every solar panel owner has made that same investment.”
Under CSU’s proposed changes, that investment would work very differently than when Charles first made it.
“I understand the utility is facing new challenges they didn’t anticipate when they first encouraged us to go solar,” Charles says. “If they need to make some course corrections, I’m willing to have that conversation. But they shouldn’t make a U-turn and go back on the promise they made to us. This change would punish us for something we were incentivized to do.”
The case being made
CSU’s proposal cites concerns about a “cost shift” — the idea that solar customers don’t pay enough to maintain the grid infrastructure.
We understand utilities face real challenges in maintaining and modernizing the grid. Those concerns deserve consideration. But we believe the cost shift argument is incomplete. It focuses on one piece of the picture while leaving out critical benefits that solar provides to everyone.
What’s missing from the conversation
When families and businesses invest in rooftop solar, they’re providing real value that benefits all ratepayers.
They’re reducing the need for expensive new power plants and transmission lines that all ratepayers would otherwise be required to fund. They’re creating local jobs in installation and maintenance. They’re generating power right where it’s used, which improves grid stability. They’re delivering environmental and public health benefits that reduce costs for the entire community.
We don’t charge customers extra when they reduce their electricity usage by switching to LED bulbs — we celebrate their efficiency. The same principle should apply to solar owners generating their own renewable power.
“Every rooftop solar system reduces the need for expensive new infrastructure that all ratepayers would otherwise have to fund,” says Tanner Simeon-Cox, Solar United Neighbors’ Colorado Program Director. “The value that distributed solar brings to our community is real and significant. Net metering recognizes that value fairly.”
Why this matters right now
The Colorado Springs City Council will hear public comments on October 14 before making their final decision on this proposal on October 28.
Their decision won’t just affect current solar owners in Colorado Springs — it could influence energy policy across Colorado and shape whether future families can afford to make the same investment in clean energy.
“My excess electricity goes to power my neighbors. It powers the streetlights in our community,” says Charles. “But they don’t know I’m providing that benefit. They just see their electric bill.” That invisible contribution is exactly what CSU’s proposal fails to account for. Families who invested in rooftop solar based on the promise of net metering deserve to have that commitment honored. And Colorado Springs is best served by policies that encourage — not discourage — local renewable energy.
Join SUN and the Sierra Club for the ‘Bright Future Breakfast’
Whether you have solar panels, are considering going solar, or you just care about clean energy policy in Colorado Springs, your voice matters. Solar United Neighbors and the Sierra Club are hosting the Bright Future Breakfast on Monday, October 14 at 8 AM — right before the Colorado Springs City Council’s first hearing on CSU’s proposed changes.
We need you to show up to support solar energy and a sustainable economic future for the Springs. We’ll have hot vegetarian and vegan breakfast, plenty of coffee, and sign-making supplies so we can make our message clear to city council.
Can’t make it in person? You can still submit comments to the City Council via email. We’ve put together a toolkit to help you craft and submit your comment and are happy to answer any questions or provide support if you need it — just reach out to us at coteam@solartuniedneighbors.org.
Colorado Springs deserves an energy future that’s affordable, reliable, and resilient. Families who invest in solar deserve policies that honor the commitment made to them and recognize the value they provide to our entire community.
Let’s make sure our city council hears that message loud and clear.
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