BOISE — Solar power users could be seeing significant changes to their future power bills, depending on how the Public Utilities Commission rules on a solar power compensation settlement.
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission meeting wrapped up around 2:30 Wednesday morning since so many members of the public came to share their testimony.
Breaking it down, solar units generate a lot of power.
Whatever the homeowners with the units use, stays in their homes, and everything else goes back on the grid. Idaho Power pays them for generating power back to the grid at the same rate the homeowners pay for their power bills. If the proposed changes are approved, over time, that amount received back would be cut in half.
"From my perspective, I do sort of wish we had waited a little bit longer, just because then we would have known about this and it would have been part of the decision we made in our economics, my only thought is we probably would have built a smaller system," said homeowner and solar user Jessica Benson.
According to documents, new and existing customers with the units on-site would be transitioned over to the new pay structure. 6 On Your Side reached out to Idaho Power for more clarity, but we have not yet heard back.
6 On Your Side spoke with the Public Utilities Commission this morning, and they said the decision could be made later this month or even later.
