Bill calls for fair solar energy pricing

UNDER THE SUN:Green Party energy spokesman Gareth Hughes (right) with Wanganui Green Philip McConkey and the solar array at the Quaker Settlement. PHOTO/ BEVAN CONLEY 210915WCBRCSOL01

People who have solar panels and sell electricity back into the grid deserve a fair price, Green MP Gareth Hughes says.

His "Fair Go for Solar" private members' bill has been pulled out of the ballot box and will be debated in Parliament in early November.

"It aims to give fairness to the thousands of Kiwis going solar and finding barriers in the way, and also provide greater certainty to the power companies," said Mr Hughes, who was in Wanganui on Monday checking out the solar power at the Quaker Settlement.

His bill would make the Electricity Authority an independent umpire, for people generating electricity with solar panels and for retail providers that buy it which, at present, can set the price they will pay, and change it with a month's notice.

The authority would set a fair price for people supplying electricity back into the grid.

Wanganui's Quaker Settlement, which installed 50 solar panels three-and-a-half years ago, was paid 25 cents for each kilowatt hour at first but the price was slashed 18 months ago.

The settlement now gets 10 cents for each kilowatt hour in winter, and just seven cents in summer.

Meanwhile its energy company is selling the power for 25 cents. The bill would require electricity retailers to give more notice before changing prices, and it would simplify the process of connecting a solar array to the national grid.

At the moment the country's 29 lines companies have different requirements and some districts require resource consents before a panel is installed.

Mr Hughes is hoping other parties will support his bill.

So far, only the Act Party has ruled that out.

He said solar energy harvesting had grown 330 per cent in New Zealand in the past two years and could help the country to the goal of 90 per cent renewable energy by 2025.

Kiwis like the independence and certainty of generating their own energy, he said, especially since retail providers have increased the price of electricity 22 per cent in six years.

More solar generation would reduce the amount of electricity lost with transmission over long distances, increase the resilience of the electricity grid and provide jobs in the regions.