Some photo voltaic clients and installers say Xcel Power is deliberately delaying lots of of photo voltaic connections throughout the state to keep away from dropping cash.
They stated it’ll take six months for the utility to put in the meters that join the photo voltaic installations to the grid.
“They do not have the urgency to place it in as a result of, as quickly as they put it in, the revenue meter goes down,” stated Paul Webster.
He and his spouse June determined to retire to Colorado final 12 months and says his son, who lives right here, and our solar, which shines 300 days a 12 months, had lots to do with it. .
“Once we’re speaking about our future we wish to be certain that we’re off the grid as a lot as potential,” June Webster stated.
They’ve a rooftop photo voltaic system put in in time for winter, however they’re going to be fortunate to make use of any power earlier than winter ends, “It is a good sunny day on the market at present and I am paying my electrical energy invoice,” stated Paul Webster. “I’ve 18 panels on my roof and I pay for the electrical energy after I pay for the photo voltaic set up. ‘The earlier the higher,’ is all I can say.”
Xcel blamed excessive demand for photo voltaic installations. Mike Kruger with the Colorado Photo voltaic and Storage Affiliation, which represents 275 firms, regretted a brand new portal launched by the utility final summer season: “It was a catastrophe from begin to end – misplaced initiatives, initiatives are delayed, bizarre error messages. Each roofing firm. that works with Xcel is coping with this.”
Kruger stated the delay affected lots of of consumers, who had been paying for techniques they could not use. In the meantime, he stated, the businesses misplaced lots of of hundreds of {dollars} as a result of most of them weren’t paid for the installations till the power flowed to them.
“Financially it is devastating,” stated Doug Southard, proprietor of Southard’s Photo voltaic Power and Development.
After 17 years in enterprise, he stated he struggles to maintain his doorways open: “There isn’t any accountability on Xcel’s facet to do it proper, which is killing small contractors.”
He says he has 29 clients ready for Xcel and a few of them, he stated, have been ready since Could 2022: “This can be a billion-dollar firm. Bringing different individuals from different areas. It doesn’t disappoint.”
The Websters additionally need accountability. “I would wish to see them fined each month it takes,” June stated.
Kruger known as on the Public Utilities Fee and the legislature to behave: “Endlessly, with continued failure, and continued impression on clients and companies, it is time the individuals with regulatory energy and legislatively do one thing.”
He stated the delays began a 12 months in the past and are worse with the brand new portal. Xcel stated it’s within the strategy of hiring extra crews and stated it processed greater than 18,000 purposes to attach photo voltaic to the grid final 12 months — a 34% improve over 2021.
The Public Utilities Fee is investigating the delays however has no phrase on when, or if, it’ll act.
Shaun Boyd
