Letter: Shame on Rocky Mountain for solar fee

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Last summer, I installed solar panels on my home to produce my own electricity. By doing so, I lessened my demand for coal-fired energy from Rocky Mountain Power and am making my small contribution to preserving our environment.

Now, RMP wants to levy a fee of $4.25 per month on me and other solar power producing customers for our initiative. To increase their profit margin, they want to penalize me for my investment in clean-energy production.

Currently, RMP relies on burning coal to produce energy, a huge source of air pollution. In fact, among all Western utilities, RMP is the single largest source of air pollution.

My investment in solar panels offsets some of that dirty energy with pollution-free solar power. The benefits of my investment accrue to many Utahns in the form of reduced air pollution and the creation of clean energy jobs here in Utah.

I should be commended, not penalized, for my investment. RMP's proposal to assess a monthly penalty fee of $4.25 will discourage other customers from "going solar" and can only impede progress toward renewables across the grid.

Shame on RMP for proposing this penalty fee!

Robert G. Nohavec

Park City