Wyoming Solar Power Rebates, Tax Credits, and Incentives

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Solar Legislator Score: Wyoming Solar Power Rebates, Tax Credits, and Incentives

With the Grand Teton mountains, a corner of Yellowstone park, and lots of wide-open cowboy country, Wyoming has great natural resources that could use some protection. With millions of years of history fossilized in its mountains and prairies, and a phenomenal Native American culture, the state has to stop relying on coal. Making the switch to clean, renewable, solar energy would be the easy choice when it comes to safeguarding the West for future generations. Here’s what the Wyoming legislature has done so far to promote solar power in the state.

STATE LEGISLATION

Well, the Wyoming legislature isn’t really sure what that thing up in the sky is (not the clouds, the other bright shiny thing). Aside from a sales tax rebate for the purchase of commercial or industrial renewable energy generation equipment, and a meager rebate for residential solar systems, Wyoming has missed the boat on clean power. Worse yet, the Wyoming legislature only convenes every 2 years, so there’ll be no action before 2009 – time to start voting for new lawmakers. Oh, and call for a special session of the legislature to get crackin’ on some solar power initiatives.

NET-METERING

Wyoming started its net-metering program in 2001. Under this program, any renewable energy generation system up to 25kW in size is eligible. Each month in which your solar system generates more power than you use earns you a credit toward next month’s bill. At the end of a year-long billing cycle, the utility company will buy any left-over power you’ve generated at their wholesale rate.

STATE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, UTILITY REBATES, UTILITY LOANS, AND UTILITY INCENTIVES

Homeowners can take advantage of a small incentive program for installing a solar electricity system. This rebate is limited to $3,000, or 50% of the system cost. Here’s the form, if you’d like to apply. Hint: get in line early since the rebate fund is capped at $75,000 (between you and me, that’s just 25 rebate checks).

Here are the two incentives for renewable energy in Wyoming:

Sales Tax Exemption

* Renewable Energy Sales Tax Exemption

State Rebate Program

* Photovoltaic Incentive Program

EXAMPLE 3KW SYSTEM – HOME INSTALLATION COST

Time to install a solar electric system in your Cheyenne home? It’ll cost you about $49,500 (but don’t forget the $3,000 state rebate and the $2,000 federal tax credit – that will lower your bill to $44,500). With a state solar rating of Great, and average usage of 1,300kWh/month at $0.1023/kWh, your system will pay for itself in just 4 to 16 years. Even better, you’ll save about $1,168 to $2,385 each year on your electric bill. Your savings will rise too, since within the next 25 years, your conventional electricity rate is estimated to go up to $0.145/kWh. Still not enough to get you excited? Here are some more important thoughts to keep in mind:

  • 550 square feet of roof area required
  • Estimated utility savings over 25 years of $29,205 to $59,633
  • $13,920 to $28,423 estimated property value increase
  • You’ll be keeping 341 tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere – that’s equal to planting 1001 trees or taking 60 cars off the road!

CONSENSUS

Well, what do you expect from a state whose governor, Dave Freudenthal, said at the World Energy Congress , “One thing that struck me was the extent to which Europe and the U.S. have invested a fair amount of government subsidies into particularly the wind resource as an alternative fuel, yet they have not made the similar commitment on the baseload fuels which turn out to be primarily coal and nuclear power.” Doesn’t Governor Freudenthal realize that the great plains used to be an inland sea? If he keeps promoting coal and nuclear energy, we all may get to experience what that Jurassic ocean was like. In short, Wyoming has a dismal record when it comes to solar power. Now’s the time to make a change; let’s brighten up the Wyoming renewable energy market.

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1 lonely comment. Add yours!

russ caldon Identicon Icon russ caldon
Comment on March 24th, 2009.

if one is to pull up a list of rebates, credits, and incentives offered by other states—–I wonder if Wyoming is indeed aware of the other 49 states trying to do something of the alternative variety. Is Wyoming comatose to the needs of it’s people?

Ann M. Identicon Icon Ann M.
Comment on September 12th, 2010.

Please check your facts. The Wyoming Legislature meets every year. The length of the session differs every other year, but I have been there every winter as a citizen lobbyist for nearly 20 years. That having been said, they are not interested in alternative energy, not when the minerals industry is paying 2/3 of the cost of services every citizen receives from the State of Wyoming. These will be the same citizens who complain about “entitlement” programs, but will not pay their own way in their own beloved state. Go figure.

Wayne Blake Identicon Icon Wayne Blake
Comment on October 20th, 2010.

I thing Wyoming is behind on Solar and should have a better incentive to use it. The Electric Comp. does not give you enough back when you do have Solar and that is another incentive not to install solar. I like solar and would like to see it come to Wyoming.

Susan Kramer Identicon Icon Susan Kramer
Comment on November 29th, 2010.

Wyoming should be a leader not in last place when it comes to developing clean energy and makeing it available to its residents. Perhaps the legislature will be more forward thinking in its next session.

mp25 Identicon Icon mp25
Comment on February 20th, 2011.

Wyoming could care less about its people. bought and sold with all the rest. This is the furture. We are it. We are on our own http://wyofile.com/2010/06/before-deepwater-horizon-disaster-wyomingites-had-key-roles-in-mms/

Rocky Identicon Icon Rocky
Comment on October 11th, 2011.

Wyoming legislators are smart enough to know that solar is not cost competitive even with incentives, which by the way are our tax dollars and don’t fall off trees. Wind energy has been embraced in Wyoming on the large scale but the cost of installing a wind or solar system is outrageous even with tax dollar rebates/incentives. And as far as saving the planet, that is hogwash. Do folks know where the silica in solar panels come from??? Silica mines. Worse than coal mines because of the fine dust. Wind generators are highly disruptive to wildlife and nobody wants them in their back yard NIMBY. When alternative energy can compete head to head with other forms of energy it will be embraced and utilized. When it has to be subsidized 3 times more than any other form of energy then it won’t happen. But don’t try and play the “save the planet card” because that is pure bull.

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