Update on Missouri Solar Coaster
Since writing my November Going Green column, a lot has happened. Ameren Missouri, the largest utility in Missouri, filed a petition with the Missouri Public Service Commission stating that they had reached their 1% cost cap over which they could no longer offer solar rebates. In reviewing Ameren’s calculations, the PSC testified that some of the costs included in Ameren’s calculations could not be considered, and based on that, funding should still be available. In the weeks that followed, a settlement was reached to clearly define a value for the solar rebate fund. That amount is $91.9M, and only about 1/3 of that amount was still available as of the end of October. Industry experts are projecting the fund will be depleted by early next year, if it makes it into 2014. So if you’re an Ameren customer and were planning on investing in solar, I urge you to contact your solar installer right away. Good luck!
This was published as a sidebar in the Going Green section of the December 2013 issue of Spirit Seeker magazine.