Colorado power cooperative looks again at rates after jump in solar customers

The Intermountain Rural Electric Association (IREA) is taking another look at raising its electricity rates — changes that could mean an additional charge of about $20 to $24 per month for new residential customers and existing residential customers who add solar power panels to their homes. If approved, the new rates would take effect December 30, 2015. It would affect new residential customers joining the cooperative after that date as well as residential customers who get a new meter after that date as part of a new solar array being installed on their roofs. IREA officials say they’re worried about the cooperative’s ability to cover its costs when more customers get their power from the sun and get credit off their monthly bills for excess power sold into the grid. IREA’s board is expected to take up the matter at its October meeting. Representatives of the solar power industry say they're still reviewing the proposal, but are concerned that IREA's proposal could put a damper on the appetite for adding solar arrays in the cooperative's territory. The cooperative has seen a big jump this year in the number of residential customers getting solar power systems on their rooftops. “It’s not a large problem at this point, but we’re trying to plan ahead and anticipate the growth of rooftop solar and saying let’s address this deficit and cost recovery before it becomes an issue,” IREA spokesman Josh Liss said Wednesday.