EGN NEWS DESK
Solar builders’ complaints have diversified, however some contain inaccurate info resulting in “weeks of backwards and forwards to get readability on a easy misunderstanding,” O’Grady mentioned. The hope is that an ombudsperson with expertise within the business might extra effectively reply these questions or know who to contact in utilities to offer steering.
State Representative Patty Acomb, a suburban Democrat and chair of Climate and Energy Finance and Policy committee, mentioned the ombudsperson’s work is much less doubtless to attract skepticism as a result of it comes from an impartial supply.
Solar firm leaders help the brand new place. Bobby King, Minnesota program director for Solar United Neighbors, mentioned the ombudsperson might “centralize” info, advocate for interconnection, create options to enhance the method and keep away from litigation. “I feel it’s a optimistic step in the correct path,” King mentioned.
Michael Allen, CEO of All Energy Solar, mentioned the ombudsperson would offer “unbiased info” to the Commerce Department, the Public Utilities Commission, installers, and utilities. He additionally believes an ombudsperson might scale back the variety of disputes that attain the Public Utilities Commission.
Martin Morud, CEO and proprietor of TruNorth Solar, mentioned he’d had few points with Xcel however sees an ombudsperson as a supply for serving to transfer utilities to reply if installer emails and telephone calls go unanswered.
More than a dozen states have already got positions much like interconnection ombudspersons, together with California, Massachusetts, and New York. Sky Stanfield, a lawyer who works with the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, mentioned states strategy the ombudsperson in a different way, not all requiring them to have the technical expertise Minnesota seeks.
She mentioned that having somebody see all of the disputes and detect patterns might additionally assist the Public Utilities Commission goal rulemaking in drawback areas.
“I do suppose having a particular person whose job is to remain updated on what is occurring appears to me like a optimistic step,” Stanfield mentioned.
To be efficient, the ombudsperson have to be “empowered” by the Public Utilities Commission and accepted as an goal mediator by utilities and clear power builders, she mentioned.
The Legislature created an preliminary $150,000 price range. The ombudsperson place, which has not been posted, is predicted to be crammed later this 12 months.
