Virginians’ Right to Choose: Opposing a Tax on the Sun

Virginia’s second largest utility, Appalachian Power Company (owned by AEP), has proposed a Tax on the Sun, a move that will further limit consumers’ ability to choose clean energy for their homes. The company is hoping to impose a standby charge on residential ratepayers with larger photovoltaic (PV) solar systems. This step would penalize homeowners for generating clean energy on their own homes, and already customers are paying attention and showing their opposition to the new fee.

If granted by state regulators, this new fee would increase customers’ bills by up to $900 per year. Apart from the environmental and reliability benefits of solar that should be praised rather than punished, the basic freedom to affordably generate energy on residents’ own private property is at risk.

What justification is AEP offering for this new charge? The utility’s argument is that the fee is needed for covering distribution costs. However, this technique has been used by many utilities, including Dominion Virginia Power, as another way to maintain the business-as-usual model of large, centralized, dirty power plants that are owned by the utility, rather than encouraging distributed energy generation owned by its customers.

Virginia has much to gain from increased solar investments. The recent price drops in solar technology coupled with the opportunity for new local jobs put the Commonwealth in a position to catch up to other neighboring states who are dramatically outpacing us.

Bottomline, the utility should be finding ways to work with rooftop solar, not standing in the way of consumer choice and the market.

Attend an Event

In order to fight this tax on the Sun, we need AEP customers in Virginia to speak out about!
Please take a minute and sign our petition (below) and also check out these upcoming events we have going on in the region:

• Sept. 4: Issue Discussion at eNRG meeting in Abingdon, email hannah[at]appvoices.org for details
• Sept. 8: Protect Energy Choice Workshop in Blacksburg
• TBA: Protect Energy Choice Workshop in Floyd
• Sept. 16: State Corporation Commission hearing on Appalachian Power case