"Montana’s new terms for small solar projects might have been knowingly set to discourage development, based on a conversation caught last week on a hot mic.
Speaking with staff during a mid-session break, Public Service Commissioner Bob Lake acknowledged that cuts made that morning to rates and contracts offered to small renewable energy projects are likely deep enough to kill future development. By federal law, the commission’s actions were supposed to promote renewable energy...
It’s the contract talk that piqued the interest of attorney Jenny Harbine, who represents Vote Solar and the Montana Environmental Information Center. Setting a contract that’s unworkable for the small renewable energy projects violates PURPA, Harbine said on Monday. Harbine plans to file a motion to get the PSC to reconsider."
Details at the
Billings Gazette source. In the discussion thread at the
Futurology subreddit, this act is described as "corruption, pure and simple."
