Siloam Springs staff: grandfathered solar credits reduce city revenue; few new rooftop systems under current rules

Staff presented internal billing data showing the fiscal effect of switching from the old one‑to‑one credit policy to the current avoided‑cost approach.

Phil said the city sampled 10 customers and estimated that, under the old policy, the city would have foregone revenue and effectively paid solar customers in aggregate; under the revised policy the city showed a modest revenue gain in the sample. "We actually looked at 10 customers that have solar and we have these AMI meters now... We have right at 40 customers who are grandfathered in under the old policy... and so we have 53 total solar customers in the city," Phil reported.

Commissioners pressed staff about whether grandfathering is equitable and whether an opt‑in one‑to‑one alternative with a connection or administrative fee could be offered to address fairness concerns. Staff said revisiting the old policy would require a longer term fiscal analysis to determine impacts on city revenue and capital plans; commissioners directed staff to return with more detailed numbers before any policy change.