Over the Hedge by T Lewis and Michael Fry for March 31, 2024

The Taylor’s must wonder why they are experiencing a brown out and still have to pay the utility company.

But what if it rains or snows?

I’d love to have PV on this house, but we are surrounded by tall trees that are on other people’s properties.

Sure it’s fun now, RJ, until it gets dark and those solar panels become useless at night.

As of 2024, my utility company has begun surcharging customers with solar panels on their roofs ON TOP OF the already existing $24 a month surcharge for having a utility line connected to your house (even if the power is turned off).

Alabama Power, which supplies power to much of Alabama, charges customers with rooftop solar a monthly fee of $20-32 for an average-sized system.

Alabama Power has (of course) has stated ‘reasons’ why this fee is fair and equitable, but basically they want to be the provider of electricity (for $$$). Ironically enough, they are creating their own solar panel farms.

Alabama has plenty of sunshine, but Ala Power’s fee has resulted in Alabama being almost dead last in megawatts (ahead of only North and South Dakota) produced by residential solar power, with 1 megawatt. Even Mississippi produces 3.

Ala Power is being sued for their fee. Let’s hope they lose, big time.

Air Fryer

Except the output of solar panels isn’t AC, it’s DC that needs to be run through an inverter to make it AC…

As long as the box of Twinkies comes with …