Lawmakers ducked decision on solar

By Ed Dornlas, Las Vegas

Friday, June 12, 2015 | 2 a.m.

I, for one, wish our legislators in Carson City had acted on the rooftop solar legislation rather than kick the can over to the Public Utilities Commission.

Limiting the amount of homeowner solar power generation is a political decision rather than a numbers or even a fairness matter.

Solar owners must, as a practical matter, exchange power with the electric company simply because they need power after dark and power storage is impractical. So score a point for the power company; the homeowners need it.

Now the second big issue is replacing fossil fuel with solar. The president assures us the future of the planet is at stake. We must reduce greenhouse gas production.

So on one hand, solar-producing homeowners must have the cooperation of the power company, and on the other, maybe these homeowners should be cut some slack because they are saving the world. This is a political decision, and I’d like to see the lawmakers accept the responsibility and make the call.