Lobbyist and Former Legislator Seth Hammett

Seth Hammett works for an "Institute" funded by power companies in Alabama, and he supports fees charged by Alabama Power to  people who put solar power panels on their property.

"I love an analogy – especially when it’s flawed. 

A recent opinion column on solar energy in the Montgomery Advertiser leads with an analogy so full of holes that it resembles Swiss cheese.  It claims that the reasonable fee charged by Alabama Power to rooftop solar customers, who also want power from the utility, is like the government charging you a tax on fruit you grow in your own backyard. 

If you have a backyard – whether you grow fruit or not – you do pay a tax in the form of property tax, and that tax provides the infrastructure and services to support your backyard and your neighbors’ backyards."

                                                                     (From his column in the Montgomery Advertiser)

     Sorry, Seth, but that's still not a tax on the fruit you grow. The real analogy would be for the Dole Fruit Company to charge a special fee for people who have fruit trees in their backyard, and who have the nerve to buy Dole products in the store anyway.

     And since the people who want to put a solar collector on their roof already pay that same property tax on the land AND on the house, they are already helping to pay for 

"the infrastructure and services to support your backyard and your neighbors’ backyards."

     Don't the power companies---and the institute---really want to charge a fee to discourage customers from creating their own power, allowing them to use less from the company?

Oh, and the meaning of "Institute"?

1.

a society or organization having a particular object or common factor, especially a scientific, educational, or social one.

"a research institute"

I don't see "promote" or "advocate" in that definition, though those are key words in the FAQ on the Institute's website:

"What is the Energy Institute of Alabama (EIA)?

The Institute is a non-profit organization made up of industry leaders who want to work together to promote the energy industry. Our plan is to educate the public about the importance of the industry to the state, advocate for energy policies that will enhance the economy of Alabama, and support economic development."

 But it does sound cool!

HEY, maybe I should rename this online place?