Somewhere in a warehouse in downtown Milwaukee, solar panels sat for a year while a contractor fought an electric utility that suggested a solar lease of a rooftop system meant said solar company was actually a fully formed public utility. The solar company asked the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) for some clarity, some common sense maybe. The PSC punted, by a vote of 2-1, saying this is the job of the legislature to decide.

The company has filed such a case in Iowa, that got to the state’s Supreme Court and won.

The lease agreement stated that Eagle Point would own 80% project and the city the remainder. Eagle Point would install and manage the system in a 25 year agreement. The city would have the option to buy out the project after seven years. The city would be buying the electricity generated by the system. Per the filing, the system will export no excess electricity to the power grid.

Sunrun Inc., whose fixed price solar lease broke the flood gates in Florida and which has very similar law case law on the topic, has recently submitted a petition to the PSC to allow it to offer residential solar leases at a fixed price. WE Energies has yet to take a position on Sunrun’s petition with the PSC.

WE Energies, the same company that wants to tax your solar installation about 24%, has recently launched its own solar lease program, where it will pay companies for the use of their rooftop space to install solar power. The Solar Now program will:

Spend $8 million in year one, and $128 million over 30 years

install 35 megawatts, with 10 megawatts set aside for government and nonprofits

provide 20-year lease agreements