This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Rooftop solar users — deriving power from clean, safe, renewable energy — help the common good by reducing harmful air pollution. That reduction has many beneficial effects. Cleaner air makes our our lives healthier, reduces medical costs, reduces lost work time and helps us better enjoy Utah's scenic beauty — thereby supporting our vital tourism/outdoor recreation economy. Cleaner air means less planet-damaging greenhouse gas emissions. Less consumption of utility-generated energy places less wear and tear on the grid and utility infrastructure, and reduces the need for expensive new power plants.

Rocky Mountain Power's efforts to raise the cost of rooftop solar by charging extra fees, etc. — not paid by nonsolar users — may have a crippling effect on the burgeoning rooftop solar industry and the new jobs that go with it.

The share of a utility's operating costs borne by consumers should be proportional to the net amount of utility-generated energy consumed. Big consumers should pay more for utility use and small users much less. The same rationale applies to highway usage. The more one uses the roads (by fuel purchased, miles traveled and commercial truck weight) the more one pays for road construction and maintenance. People are not charged extra because they don't drive much. That's fair. Charging small users extra is not.

Practices that help our health, the common good and the good of the planet should be encouraged and incentivized, not penalized. RMP has it backwards.

James Westwater

Chair, Utah Valley Earth Forum

Spanish Fork