LADWP's Solar Energy Buyback Could Power 34,000 LA Houses

On Friday, the LA Department of Water and Power approved the rollout of a pilot project allowing customers with rooftop solar panels to sell energy back to the utility. LADWP is currently accepting applications for contracts to generate a total of 100 megawatts of solar power as part of the feed-in tariff program, as it's called. In March, another 50 megawatts may be added to the program. By the LA Times's accounting, it sounds like a pretty good deal: when running to full capacity (150 megawatts), the program should produce enough energy, locally and cleanly, to power up to 34,000 houses and supporters claim it will add 4,500 jobs and $500 million to the local economy by 2016. The hitch? Fred Pickel, LADWP's rate-payer advocate, warns that the above-market rate of 17 cents per kilowatt hour that will be paid to solar power producers could result in a rate hike for customers. However, that price is expected to drop once the program is established. But before you get the ladder out, note that single-family homeowners are likely to be ineligible for the program since they are unable to produce enough energy.
· DWP will allow customers to sell back excess solar energy [LAT]
· LA Wants Your Extra Solar Power [Curbed LA]