The world's dumbest idea: Taxing solar and wind energy

[Keeper]

I was set to agree with Dave until I read this. Thanks for the info, that's one less time I'll be wrong. Sadly that might not be a statistically significant drop, but every little bit helps.


I commend you on your honesty, good attitude, and ability to look beyond your own immediate personal advantage. Thou art made of win.

This could easily be post of the year, if we had such a thing.

Thanks!!!!

 

[walkur]

There is a much simpler solution, change the way you are billed.
Here in the Netherlands your energy bill has two item (not counting tax).

1. the amount you have to pay for the energy you used
2. the acces cost

The acces costs are a fixed amount per household, this covers the maintenance cost of the lines/transformers etc.


This problem reminds me of the problem goverments are having with the reduced income from taxing fuel. (for which we have a similar solution, for every car there is a road tax depending on type weight etc. it's not perfect but meh, waht is)

 

[Zorba]

There is a much simpler solution, change the way you are billed.
Here in the Netherlands your energy bill has two item (not counting tax).

1. the amount you have to pay for the energy you used
2. the acces cost

The acces costs are a fixed amount per household, this covers the maintenance cost of the lines/transformers etc.


This problem reminds me of the problem goverments are having with the reduced income from taxing fuel. (for which we have a similar solution, for every car there is a road tax depending on type weight etc. it's not perfect but meh, waht is)

My electric bills have always been split up that way (in Oklahoma (and other states)). There is a minimum monthly fee that is the access charge, then a fuel cost section.

The only thing I can think of is in the per kW-hr cost, there is a generation fee, a fuel adjustment fee and a transmission fee. I am guess people are upset about the transmission fee, since if you are a net producer of electricity you would never pay a transmission fee, but at times when you are using power from the grid you're using the transmission service.

I think probably the real issue is when you supply to the gird you get paid retail price, as opposed to the wholesale price. So as long as you a net producer of electricity you never pay for any electricity you actually do use off the grid.

 

[Newell Steamer]

Bilk the government out of millions for grazing on land that is not yours; A-OK.

Question why you should pay a tax for wind/solar power; why are you starving the government of much needed tax funds??

 

[Londo_Jowo]

What tax? It's a surcharge designed to maintain infrastructure that needs to be installed for anyone supplying power to the grid.