What is happening
Monopoly utility Arizona Public Service (APS) charged solar customers an extra fee, because they had solar. This fee existed for 4 years. Solar United Neighbors was part of a successful campaign to end this fee!
Before this victory, APS forced solar customers to pay approximately $80 per year more. This charge was for customers with a typically sized system. Solar owners with larger systems paid even more. Solar advocates fought this unfair fee during a rate case proceeding. The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) is an elected body that determines if the rates APS charges are fair. An independent judge at the commission found this charge was likely unjustified.
Armed with this positive ruling, the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) and Vote Solar made strong arguments against the solar fee to the ACC. Solar United Neighbors submitted comments against the solar fee as well. SUN also recruited more than 100 comments in support of ending the fee from Arizona solar owners and supporters.
On October 27, 2021, the ACC voted to end APS’s solar fee. Now, APS solar customers no longer pay an unfair monthly fee just for having solar!
Timeline of Progress
8/2/21: Recommended Opinion & Order (ROO) filed by the Assistant Chief Administrative Law Judge including comment that APS solar fee was likely unjustified (see pages numbered 253-54).
9/30/21: SUN filed comments in the docket supporting filing from Earthjustice representing Vote Solar to end the APS solar fee.
10/5/21: SUN recruited 4 supporters to directly submit their own comments in the docket. See pages 5-8 of this filing.
10/1/21: SUN collected and filed 97 more comments from solar owners and supporters opposing this fee in the ACC docket on this case.
10/27/21: Arizona Corporation Commission votes to end the APS solar fee as part of a larger rate case.
