Creative Energies has been in the renewable energy business since 2000. We have been in Utah since 2010, and it is our biggest office. During COVID-19, we were anxious like everyone else as to what it would mean for our business as everything came to a halt while everyone was putting on the breaks to see how this pandemic was going to unfold.
About a month into the pandemic, we experienced a 5.7 earthquake, causing some 60,000 Utahns to lose power. What surprised us was how busy our phones were post-earthquake. Utahns were inquiring about solar and battery storage. We saw an even bigger uptick in inquiries after the windstorm that caused 190,000 people to lose power.
During the pandemic’s entirety, we found that the technology we offer was resilient. We did not have to lay off any of our employees. We had stability during a very unstable time.
Now, Rocky Mountain Power wants to devalue our technology to a level of unfairness that would cripple our industry. RMP did not embrace solar technology. It was the efforts and risk-taking of the small business community, tax incentives and private consumers that over the years got solar prices down to where they are today.
This move to cripple a growing industry as other businesses close and lay off employees during the pandemic doesn’t make sense. RMP wants to deny Utahns the opportunity to own their own energy source. Now that solar costs are down thanks to those who took on the risk years prior, RMP wants to control the technology.
The Public Service Commission must take this into account, along with other factors that RMP’s study failed to recognize, such as distribution and avoided costs for new energy resources necessary to meet Utah’s anticipated growth. Creative Energies wants to be in Utah for another 20 years.
Tom Mills, technical sales/policy advocate, Creative Energies Solar, Salt Lake City
