Arguments Heard In Lawsuit Seeking To Save Solar Rebates In Missouri

Supporters of a "green energy" law passed by Missouri voters in 2008 are in court seeking to reinstate one of the statute's key provisions – rebates to individuals and companies that use solar panels to power their homes and businesses.

Proposition C requires for-profit utility companies to generate 15 percent of their power from renewable sources by the year 2021, but it also bars utilities from raising their rates by more than 1 percent to comply with the voter-approved law. Rebates on solar panel use is one of the methods for increasing renewable energy in Missouri.

Missouri: MEDA announces legislation on renewable energy

Today the Missouri Energy Development Association (MEDA) announced it will propose renewable energy legislation during the next session of the Missouri Legislature in January in response to the recent renewable energy initiative petition filed by Renew Missouri. MEDA is also evaluating filing its own renewable energy ballot initiative.

"We are proposing legislation that will preserve Missouri's momentum of investing in renewable energy, while protecting Missourians from rate increases many times greater than what they approved when Prop C was passed in 2008," said Trey Davis, president of MEDA. "The initiative petition filed by Renew Missouri will increase electric rates to fund a government mandate for renewable energy and creates a new tax on Missourians to expand state government, but will largely benefit just a few renewable energy companies."

Clean Air Initiative struggles to achieve renewable energy goal

Missouri’s goal of generating 15 percent of its total energy from renewable energy by 2020 is facing some setbacks.

Voters passed Proposition C, the Clean Energy Initiative, in 2008. Yet blueprint plans of solar-powered houses and fields with wind turbines became shrouded in controversy. Renewable energy legislation has been gutted, said Carla Klein, renewable energy coordinator at Renew Missouri, an organization that works to advance renewable energy in Missouri and that helped maneuver the law through the ballot initiative process.

Capital city implements energy efficency incentives

Missouri's capital city says it's the first community in the state to provide aid for homeowners and businesses to improve their energy efficiency.

Jefferson City officials have created a Clean Energy Development Board that will provide private property owners funding through municipal bonds for projects that use renewable energy or make buildings more energy-efficient.