Letter: Let’s expand solar power to reduce our use of fossil fuels
On May 14, the Herald ran an article on solar power for homes in the Tri-City area. The tax credit cap on the state’s Renewable Energy System Cost Recovery Program is set at 0.5 percent of retail power sales. Our counties are hitting the cap and at the last state legislative session, raising that cap failed to pass.
On May 25, Franklin PUD held a ribbon ceremony for their Community Solar Power Project. PUD customers bought shares at $200 each. These shares paid for 75 percent of the system and the cost recovery program paid for the rest. At the ceremony, the visiting state legislators were proud of the project, but their messages was: “We have cheap hydro and nuclear power in Washington. We shouldn’t use taxpayer dollars for solar power credits; it burdens our economy.” It appears that our state’s legislators do not want to take on the climate change crisis.
Climate change threatens all of us. Upping the solar credit cap would pay dividends in jobs for our area. Let’s expand solar power to reduce our use of fossil fuels.
Thank you Franklin and Benton PUDs for your community solar project efforts.
Ray Williams, Pasco
This story was originally published June 12, 2016 at 2:04 AM with the headline "Letter: Let’s expand solar power to reduce our use of fossil fuels."