Judge refuses to dismiss Alabama lawsuit over solar panel fees
Associated PressMONTGOMERY, Ala. — A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit against the Alabama Public Service Commission over fees it allows Alabama Power to charge customers who use solar panels to generate some of their own electricity. The fees, $27 per month on a 5kW solar system, are charged to customers who are hooked up to the Alabama Power grid but also use solar panels to generate a portion of their electricity. “We will continue our efforts to require the Commission to follow the law and not allow Alabama Power to unfairly charge customers who invest in solar,” Christina Tidwell, a senior attorney in the Southern Environmental Law Center’s Alabama office, said in a statement. Tidwell said the “unjustified fee” erodes customers’ expected savings and makes it “impractical to invest in solar power.” The Public Service Commission and Alabama Power had asked Thompson to dismiss the lawsuit.
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