Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC)
Submitted: 10/5/2022 1:41:26 PM
COMMENTS FILED ELECTRONICALLY IN
9300-DR-106 Verified Petition of Vote Solar of Distributed Energy Resource Systems in Wisconsin	Public Comment Open Period: 09/26/2022 - 11/09/2022
Commentor Information:
Name:  Steve Maurice Address:  1862 Beld St City:  Madison   State:WI   Zip:53713
NOTE: Public comments are currently being accepted in lieu of testimony at a public hearing pursuant to a Notice of Hearing in this docket. For written comments submitted in lieu of testifying, only one comment may be submitted per person per comment period. Only the first comment a person submits in lieu of testifying at a public hearing may be accepted as part of the official record for this docket.
Comment:
I write on behalf of the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) in Madison, WI in support of the Vote Solar petition filed before the Public Service Commission. The petition is a common sense request on behalf of the family named within it. As the director of a nonprofit organization that would have directly benefited from a third-party ownership (TPO) agreement for our solar panel installation, I can certainly sympathize with the family who is just trying to make responsible financial and environmental decisions regarding its use and consumption of power. It is the protective regulatory policies that have been put in place by utilities to thwart the use of solar by private individuals and nonprofits that have generally ruled the day in Wisconsin regarding solar usage. Those policies have made it difficult for property owners, especially nonprofits, to choose solar as a responsible and cost effective option in lowering their utility costs. The CMC, where I work, did install solar panels on our roof through a fundraising campaign with the goal of decreasing the percentage of our annual budget going to utility costs for years to come and redirecting those funds to providing services. Unfortunately, we learned after installing additional panels that the size of the system was over the threshold that the local utility company would allow without a high coverage liability insurance policy to ostensibly protect the utility's infrastructure. Due to a number of factors, we were unable to obtain such a policy and thus the newly installed panels have sat dormant for years. CMC could have utilized TPO to address the utility`s requirement and enabled the new solar array so that we and the community would have benefited from the cost savings we would have enjoyed from a higher solar capacity. Thus, it is time for the PSC to provide clear and positive guidance in favor of TPO. Even if the Commission does not make the kind of broad pronouncement that can help CMC`s project, ruling in favor of the family will be a step in the right direction towards helping other projects that are in a similar situation as ours.
I affirm that these comments are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. NOTE: This comment is submitted in lieu of testimony pursuant to a Notice of Hearing issued by the Commission in this docket. I affirm that these comments consist of my personal knowledge or opinion only, and that I have not included information prepared by another person, and that I have not previously submitted written public comments in this docket in response to this Notice of Hearing. Steve Maurice