The city council in Edmond has a decision to make about solar energy. It is considering whether to allow solar panels on homes.
News 9 reports the incentives to buy back the electricity is low as OGE offers what is labeled “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.
Click here to view Karl Torp’s story on News 9 about the growing debate.