Utah Solar Policy: What You Ought to Know

Keeping current on solar policy in Utah will help guide your decisions. Here are a couple of policy-related topics that will serve you well should you decide to stay up-to-date on them.  

Utah Public Utilities Commission

Knowing what your utility company’s regulations for solar customers are will help you know if it is a good time to go solar. There are some companies that are changing their net metering programs into feed and tariff meters.

Other companies place caps on the size of solar arrays you can have installed on your home. These types of changes can reduce the savings that would have been possible.

On the website for Utah’s public service commission, you can see each sector and what orders and notices have and will take place.  Entering a docket number will give you information more quickly. If you aren’t sure what dockets to look at, electric dockets will give you an idea of what changes your electric company is planning on making.

One of the most recent dockets was a proposed rate change by Rocky Mountain Power to its customers. Changes like these could be a determining factor in your decision to get solar now or later.

State and Federal Programs

Federal and State goverments provide incentives. These encouragements make solar a viable economic decision for Utah homeowners. 

State-level Programs

Utah has a tax credit that is currently for $1,600. This credit was going to decrease by $400 each year. Thankfully, as of March 13th, 2018, this credit is now extended and will not decrease until 2021. 

Federal-level Policies for Utahans to Consider

The Federal Government is covering 30 percent of the cost of residential solar systems. This percentage will phase out by 2021. It is in your best interest to see if you are in a financial position to take advantage of these tax credits before they decrease. 

If you want an accurate picture of currently available incentives take a look at Utah’s Office of Energy Development, Energy.gov and DESIRE. Making sure that you are up-to-date on incentives and their expiration dates will help you to get the most out of your purchase.

Pending Utah Legislation

Staying informed about current legislation will give you the chance to voice your opinion before it’s too late. Utah state legislature allows you to see what pieces of statute are being considered. They also list who to contact if you have concerns.

A good source of current solar legislation is the Utah Solar Energy Association. They are great at simplifying complicated language that is often used in legislation.

Utah Solar Policy Statistics

Looking at Utah in comparison to the rest of the United States, there is definite room for improvement. On the upside, though Utah has already taken some big steps in the right direction.

Although 90 percent of Utah’s energy came from coal and natural gas in 2016, solar generation has been rising. Utah had 121 thousand megawatt hours (MWh) of solar-generated through small PV systems in 2017. This statistic is roughly 8 percent of the US generation of photovoltaic energy from residential sources.

The energy information association will give you an unbiased look at how Utah is doing. If you are wanting to make a good informed decision, you will want to look at reputable sources. These types of sites will give you data you can trust.