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OTHERS TO PICK UP THE TAB. ROBERT AIRING INSTALLED 16 SOLAR PANELS ON THE ROOF OF HIS BAY VIEW HOME LAST YEAR. >> SAVE SOME MONEY, DO SOME GOOD, YOU KNOW, GOOD FOR SOCIE GOOD FOR THE WORLD ECOLOGY AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. CAROLINE: HE SAYS HE SAVES ABOUT $30 TO $40 A MONTH BECAUSE HE GENERATES HIS OWN ELECTRICIT BUT THAT COULD SOON CHANGE WITH A NEW PROPOSED SURCHARGE. >> ALL WE’RE ASKING FOR SOLAR CUSTOMERS TO USE IS JUST TO PAY A CHARGE THAT IS BASED ON THEIR GENERATION, $12 TO $15 A MONTH. CAROLINE: IF THE PROPOSAL PASSES, ABOUT 700 WISCONSIN SOLAR CUSTOMERS WOULD BE IMPACTED. RIGHT NOW, THEY ONLY PAY FOR THE ENERGY THEY DON’T CREATE THEMSELVES. WE ENERGIES OFFICIALS CLAIMS THE SURCHARGE WOULD COVER COSTS TO RUN THE POWER GRID, AND THEREFORE SAVE OTHER CUSTOMERS MONEY. >> SOME OF THE COSTS, ACTUALLY A HIGH NUMBER OF OUR COSTS FOR OUR TRANSMISSION LINES, OUR POLES, AND OUR WIRES ARE BUILT INTO THAT ENERGY CHARGE. BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT PAYING AS MUCH FOR YOUR ENERGY BECAUSE OF THE SOLAR PANELS, YOU’RE NOT PAYING YOUR FAIR SHARE, AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THOSE COSTS GET SHIFTED TO ALL THE OTHER CUSTOMERS. CAROLINE: BUT SOLAR EXPERTS ARGUE THEY SHOULDN’T BE CHARGED EXTRA BECAUSE SOLAR POWER ACTUALLY HELPS WE ENERGIES SAVE MONEY. >> YOU’RE ACTUALLY PRODUCING POWER THAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS USING FOR A CHEAPER RATE THAN WHAT WE ENERGIES WOULD PRODUCE, AND THOSE BENEFITS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS THEY’VE RUN FOR THIS PROPOSAL SO FAR. PATRICK: CAROLINE, WHEN WOULD THIS NEW SURCHARGE GO INTO EFFECT? CAROLINE: THAT DECISION WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE BY THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION LATER THIS YEAR, AFTER A NUMBER OF PUBLIC HEARINGS OVER THE SUMMER. IF IT’S PASSED, SOLAR CUSTOMERS WOULDN’T START PAYING THAT EXTRA FEE IN 2

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We Energies has proposed a monthly surcharge for customers who have installed solar panels on their homes or businesses. Currently, solar customers only pay for the energy they don't generate themselves. We Energies officials said they want to charge nearly 700 solar customers for all of the energy they use, approximately $3.53 per kilowatt generated. "All we're asking from solar customers is just to pay a charge that is based on their generation," said We Energies spokesman Brendan Conway. He estimates it would cost the average solar customer about $12 to $15 a month. "They'll still save an average $600 a year, versus anyone else. So this is not eating into their savings or slashing their savings, it's a reasonable thing that will make more about leveling the playing field."Conway said We Energies is proposing the surcharge because people with solar panels don't pay for the power grid costs that are incorporated into other people's energy bills each month.Conway said that forces everyone else to pick up the bill."A high number of our costs for our transmission lines, our poles, our wires are built into that energy charge. are not paying as much for energy, because of the solar panels, so not paying their fair share. What happens is those costs get shifted to all the other customers," Conway said. However, solar experts claim they actually save We Energies money throughout the year and therefore shouldn't have to pay that surcharge. " produces power on those hot summer days, where it is expensive for We Energies to generate power and where they have to build extra power plants just to provide power to us," said Tyler Huebner, executive director of Renew Wisconsin. "You're actually producing power that everybody else is using for a cheaper rate than what We Energies would produce. Those benefits are not included in the analysis they've run for this proposal so far."Huebner claims the new proposal would slash solar customers savings by 20% to 25%. "If you're a customer and you have solar panels, you're not using the system as much as other customers or some of the large businesses and industries, so of course you shouldn't pay as much," Huebner said.If the Public Service Commission passes the new proposed surcharge by the end of the year, solar customers would start paying extra in 2021.