March 9, 2016Community Forum on Solar

JU Gooding Auditorium

Suggestions, Questions, Comments & Online Submissions from Forum(Expectation of audience is that JEA will respond to all of these before the April 7th Workshop)

SUGGESTIONSWritten on forum suggestion papers on walls and via sticky notes:

We need more objective study about the actual cost of net metering. It seems there is actually a net benefit provide by net metered solar.

Look into progressive policies being pioneered in cities like Austin, Portland, and Orlando Florida may not be Arizona but its also not NJ, NY, NC, MA…who are making solar work! More community solar/micro-grids Rather than slash rates, investigate caps or innovative compensation methods tailor made for

the area. Or revisit. What is needed is a Solar Public Utility Co. providing capital, expertise, and lobby power. The JEA Board should ask/charge the JEA staff to create a Clean Energy Regional Plan.

QUESTIONS How will we, the audience, know/receive answers to these questions that are being raised

tonight? Do you, JEA, agree with Mr. Wilking’s numbers? What would be the financial impact to JEA and community if we kept net metering for another five

years? What are the projections? How is JEA preparing for grid parity? Please share JEA’s plans Please explain why NY, NJ, MA and other states with less solar potential and more shady days than

Florida, are making solar work and Florida is not really trying to make it work? Please explain JEA’s 1999 community commitment to 7.5% renewable energy by 2015 and why it

failed to fulfill the commitment. I have a request that JEA look into the other progressive solar and distributed generation policies

around the U.S. and report back to us, the ratepayers, why exactly we can’t do something similar in Jacksonville.

How can we, the rate payers, encourage JEA and give it political cover, at the state policy level with the Public Utility Commission to communicate the public’s desire to continue with clean energy and increased efficiency and not head in the reverse direction? What is JEA’s role at the state level to avoid allowing solar to get gutted like energy efficiency goals and incentives got gutted?

What is the best and healthiest way to keep the dialogue going so that JEA can make the best, most well-informed decision possible – for themselves and their public stakeholders?

Can JEA look at incentivizing in a way that benefits all, rather than reducing incentives? How does this proposed change by JEA impact solar installation and JEA’s financial projections? How does solar fit into the portfolio of alternative energy and where would the Board seek to go

from here? How does JEA’s status as a municipal utility impact its decisions when public interest appears to

be contrary to their plans? With these proposed changes, what would be the impact to the local economy short term and long

term? Have you considered Neptune Beach’s City Hall as a positive example? How does the relationship between the City and utility, revenue-wise, impact decisions? Is that

part of the weight against solar and net metering? Does the fact that JEA has to pay the City a certain amount of money each year, does this put a dis-incentive on JEA to experiment with solar or try new things?

Has JEA considered the feed-in tariff? If not, why not? If yes, why has JEA not implemented it? Can and will JEA develop a Regional Clean Energy Plan (like what was done for transportation)? If

yes, by when? If no, why not? Has JEA considered looking at this from the angle of reducing the community’s carbon footprint

and helping to lead the way in risk management (climate change)? Can we establish a template structure/framework for JEA to follow for community engagement for

future discussions in solar, net metering, and future issues? How sensitive is JEA to customer efficiencies? What happens if we exceed all projections? Why jeopardize growth via disincentives? (concern aimed at industry & homes) Of the three-part proposal, why have the disincentive? Why not move forward with the first two

only? How do you value at $0.075 when it is possible to just let interested customers acquire it on their

own? What middle ground is available so that we aren’t stuck at a standstill? Are there plans in other states/cities that we can mimic here? Can JEA open up Board workshop to public or at least public groups? How can we protect our power system if the grid goes down? Why do we need to de-incentivize rooftop solar to make JEA controlled-solar viable? Where is the compromise for both sides versus opposing sides? Why does JEA only want to pay commercial rate? If JEA customers because super efficient, would JEA go broke? What and where is the sensitivity

analysis? Please share. Local solar industry is at a nascent stage, why dis-incentivize it? JEA claims that non-solar customers are subsidizing solar customers – please show the numbers

demonstrating this proclaimed subsidy and how exactly you are valuing solar on your balance sheets?

Why can’t JEA embrace the solar edge rather than running away from it? Be progressive rather than regressive.

What is the resiliency of an individual solar system versus a large scale system? Does JEA have a risk management plan in terms of Clean Power Plan, sea level rise, and climate

change? What does the JEA Board think JEA’s “fuel” portfolio make-up should be in the future?

How does JEA’s relationship, as a municipal utility, to the people/rate payers make them responsible to incorporate public sentiment?

PV panels & storage getting cheaper, we are very close. What will JEA do when FL reaches grid parity?

Please supply a transparent list of investors on an investor’s page. Please share how JEA’s solar policies affect local firms including large-scale, solar farms, and

distributed generation installation? Does JEA hire locally whenever it can? Why the rush? Staff say they are being proactive but solar rooftop market penetration is tiny so is

there political pressure, a PSC deadline, market pressure, or something else that is driving this action? It seems like there is missing information.

COMMENTS AT FORUM There seems to be a general acknowledgement that we (the people in this room) do not have all

the information. One local solar installer commented that he does not want any subsidies but he does want JEA to

move towards more rooftop solar. JEA is coming off as “JEA. Our Solar. Our Way.” California has the goal of all new homes to be net zero by 2020 – Google it! There are two goals with solar:

o Reduce cost of electricity to homes/businesseso Alternative source of energy if grid goes down

Let’s find out what some of the other states/cities are doing (e.g., Austin, TX) Please allow community to partake in the JEA Board workshop. Feels like JEA sees solar rooftop industry as a threat when it should be a partner. Future customer of rooftop solar stood up and said he sees this policy change “as a disincentive.” Local solar industry has a long way to grow before it affects JEA’s bottom line. Concerned about affect on homeowners who already have solar and want to sell their home and

benefit fully from the investment they gave to the grid and concerned about the local solar installer industry.

Thank JEA for participating in this spirited debate. Many of us applaud the 50 MW goal by end of 2016. We hope to continue this dialogue about net metering and create some sort of framework to work within. Maybe JEA will consider set gates such as a percentage cap to timeframe.

Rooftop solar installers are “channel” partners of JEA – complimentary industries not adversarial. Future of energy includes large scale and distributed energy storage. Concern about oversight of this process Summary conclusions by emcee:

o There is a need for clarification and more information regarding measurement numbers and how solar is being valued, state and city government relationships, and how will numbers change over time.

o There is a need for more participation. There is a need to develop and continue a robust dialogue.

100% ANONYMOUS COMMENTS PROVIDED ONLINE to the following question: Do you you believe JEA should reduce its solar net metering incentive? Why or why not?

▪ Further more we have already borrowed the money and installed the equipment on our home. We did so as a hedge against what President Barrack Hussein Obama said will be sky rocketing energy cost. Now that we are committed to paying for our PV system. JEA wants to change the amount we get paid for net metering. Had I known that JEA was going to be capricious and renege on the

amount we receive in credit for the energy produced by PV systems I would never have invested our money.

▪ Why would anyone do this? JEA is entering the solar generating field itself; protecting the grid is important, but limiting options (especially that would help JEA reduce its need for additional generation) would seem to be counter-intuitive. Unfortunately I cannot take advantage as I have too many trees covering the house (but that has its advantages, too). Not everyone can afford this due to cost. But to exclude this seems short-sighted. We cannot all rely on fossil generation forever, and the sooner we allow for alternatives, the better.

▪ Anything that would cause rates to increase would be very detrimental to the economic outlook here in the city. People need to feel they can pay their bills and still have money left over.

▪ People who do not have solar PV should not be required to pay for the systems on other peoples houses. Their solar systems use JEA as a battery to avoid purchasing a battery for their system. Their system will not work without JEA and they do not want to pay for the value they receive from JEA.

▪ JEA should be seen as leading the energy efficiency movement, instead of being the enemy of it.▪ Why should I pay for someone else's solar panels!!▪ Please do not consider this!▪ Maybe soon but not when there are less than .2% of its customers use it. Also, review Nevada's E3

report, extra costs are NOT passed on to none users!▪ what a stupid idea.▪ I'm all for rate reduction as long as good quality service and product is not reduced. I'm very

interested in Solar energy as an alternate and supplemental source of energy. I think China is way ahead in the use of Solar energy. We should invest a lot more than we are…

▪ JEA is not dis-incentivizing customers from putting solar rooftop on their homes. They are only proposing that they pay the same rate to new solar customers as JEA pays for solar when they buy it elsewhere. If the solar companies are only selling "getting paid from JEA" to their customers then those companies are doing a disservice to their customers. The solar benefits of energy savings and clean energy stand-alone without payment from another source. Also the 30% reduction comes to about a $5 a month difference to the average customer = $60. Is that small amount enough to dis-incentivize someone from buying a $20-$30K system for their home? I doubt it. It's all in the way it is explained to the solar customer. And JEA is grandfathering in their current solar customers so they can keep their current rates. JEA is doing with solar what it does with/for all of its customers - looking out for their customers, the community and making sure that JEA stays a healthy company all around to provide quality/reliable service at a fair and competitive price.

▪ Alternative energy resources should be greatly encouraged to all customers in order to promote a cleaner, healthier environment for us and for generations to come. BTW, I think this is a very misleading/confusing question, which will probably bring inaccurate results.

▪ We need more solar in the sunshine state!▪ I don't believe it will.▪ Since Florida lacks state incentives for solar PV we need to stay the course on net metering so as to

advance solar PV's market penetration and derive the significant environmental benefit of renewable energy.

▪ JEA is going in exactly the opposite direction that we as a society should be going to encourage alternate sources of energy. They should show some leadership on this issue and not put their collective heads in the sand.

▪ Not sure I understood the question. But I think JEA should support solar and provide incentive to customers with installations. Thanks!

▪ This ALEC-sponsored idea is devised to impede the adoption of solar power, and is against the interests of the ratepayers. And truly, the interests of JEA lie with encouraging, not delaying, the adoption of distributed solar power.

▪ No to reducing net metering -- It is too soon. Rooftop solar is not hurting JEA yet.▪ JEA's solar future -- JEA should proceed with a vigorous development of what they have called

solar gardens--neighborhood solar farms to serve those ratepayers who cannot install or cannot afford rooftop solar. They should also encourage rooftop installations for the others. Coal is no longer a viable power source, either morally or economically. Natural gas, due to its endemic leakage rate, emits more carbon than coal, and cannot last politically or morally as a power source long enough to justify any further capital expenditure. JEA is experiencing how expensive nuclear power is, and if the externalized costs of fuel, waste storage, and liability were to be included, would deserve no further consideration. The future lies with renewables. JEA should unite with the growing number of utilities which perceive that their future is in infrastructure development and power management. We need JEA to help, indeed to lead, in the energy transition we must make as soon as we conceivably can. We are perhaps three to five years from the compromise of much of our water and power infrastructure from sea level rise, as JEA must to be in the process of discovering. That is little time to build a power and water base appropriate to the world we have created. Certainly there is no time left to fritter away in ALEC projects generated by fossil fuel interests, such as the current proposal to attack distributed solar subsidies.

▪ Solar new metering -- JEA should NOT reduce its solar net metering incentive. They are going in the OPPOSITE direction that they should be going to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and encourage alternate energy sources. JEA should be showing leadership on this issue (similar to FP&L) and not hiding their heads in the sand or bowing to political pressure. If they were smart, they would be INVESTING in solar and wind, not trying to pretend it is not relevant.

▪ PPAs -- Why not allow PPAs (3rd party power agreements?▪ We Have To Work Towards Transition For The Future Generation -- Absolutely not. We realized

there are bond holders to be paid for legacy costs related to current electrical generation however there will always be something either in the way of a transition or past legacy responsibilities. Energy generation from various alternative sources in Florida make common sense and since home and business owners are almost considered annuities for the power generators of this state, they should assist us with the promotion of this resource. Thank you.

▪ I believe that JEA should be able to do business the way it needs to - including purchasing energy (solar, wind etc) at a competitive price -- JEA is not dis-incentivizing customers from putting solar rooftop on their homes. They are only proposing that they pay the same rate to new solar customers as JEA pays for solar when they buy it elsewhere. If the solar companies are only selling "getting paid from JEA" to their customers then those companies are doing a disservice to their customers. The solar benefits of energy savings and clean energy stand-alone without payment from another source. Also the 30% reduction comes to about a $5 a month difference to the average customer = $60. Is that small amount enough to dis-incentivize someone from buying a $20-$30K system for their home? I doubt it. It's all in the way it is explained to the solar customer. And JEA is grandfathering in their current solar customers so they can keep their current rates. JEA is doing with solar what it does with/for all of its customers - looking out for their customers, the community and making sure that JEA stays a healthy company all around to provide quality/reliable service at a fair and competitive price.

▪ Solar Choices -- Residential/business solar should be further encouraged through more incentives, not disincentivized

▪ More Solar power please -- JEA should keep net metering alive, and do more to help its customers acquire rooftop solar. More solar means less coal. A Carbon tax will eventually be passed, it is better to ha e carbon free energy sources before the tax comes.

▪ Solar incentive -- Unfortunately I am unable to attend the meeting due to having to work. JEA has been (in the past) open to new technologies and ways of doing business. While they must ensure the grid is protected, dis-allowing solar seems short-sighted. We must pursue alternative energy generation sources. In spite of what many of our "esteemed" politicians believe, climate change is happening. Why should we continue to dump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere unabated

when there are alternatives that can help stem the tide. I wish JEA would encourage more conservation and alternate electric generation methods. JEA is not like (or should not be like) the public utilities, whose main focus is to make a profit. JEA should continue to provide reliable energy sources while seeking to reduce its imprint on the environment.

▪ Net metering incentive -- I can remember buying one of those little glass devices with a paddle wheel in side with PV cells that made it spin around while in the son. I was raised to be conservative with resources. So a few years ago a company come through selling roof top PV systems. With the government tax credit and recouping cost by the deal with JEA to pay $x.00 amount for the energy our system produced it was a dream come true. To be able to lower our carbon foot print, conserve fossil fuels and cut down on pollution. So we got or loan. Our equipment was installed now JEA wants to cut the amount we would be credited with the net metering system. Now as senior citizens that were duped into buying this equipment which will now never give us return on investment in our life time. I don't know what the proper word for the government going back on it's word is so forgive me. I am a crippled up old man trying desperately to make ends meet.