Solar Panel Plan Sparks Debate In Edmond

The City of Edmond is considering allowing solar panels on homes, but their incentives for buying back electricity is shockingly low, according to some folks. Right now, OG&E offers what’s called "net metering" to solar customers. They get a one to

Thursday, August 15th 2019, 5:26 pm

By: Karl Torp

Solar Panel Plan Sparks Debate In Edmond

The City of Edmond is considering allowing solar panels on homes, but their incentives for buying back electricity is shockingly low, according to some folks.

Right now, OG&E offers what’s called "net metering" to solar customers.

They get a one to one ratio and what their panels pull in versus what they can bank and use later.

Edmond isn't proposing "net metering." Instead, the City wants to pay a reduced wholesale rate to customers for electricity going back on the grid.

The City wants to charge a higher retail price for what a customer uses and pulls with their own panels.

“There is still infrastructure costs tied to you being part of being able to receive electricity, and also being able to push electricity back out to the grid,” said Casey Moore, Edmond Public Information Office.

“It takes the return on investment and makes it a 25-year return on investment. A lot of our customers for OG&E it is a seven to eight-year return on investment,” said J.W. Peter, President of Solar Power of Oklahoma.

Edmond City Council has tabled the issue until September 9.

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