

In today's polarizing political environment, one thing most of us can agree on is that society will benefit from an energy future using cleaner, lower-cost, more sustainable sources. As a national leader in clean energy, Xcel Energy supports development of power from sustainable resources, because of the value they can bring to citizens and customers: a cleaner environment and reliable energy at a competitive cost.

Solar plays an important role in that equation, and we're excited to pursue development of solar energy at the lowest cost possible and in a manner that's fair to all customers. There is a path for doing that, and we're following it eagerly and aggressively.

All solar installations aren't created equal. They run the spectrum from rooftop solar panels installed on individual homes to large-scale solar projects. While there's value in the full spectrum of solar projects, large-scale solar installations can be developed at roughly half the cost per megawatt of individual rooftop projects.

It's not unlike what we've seen in our successful pursuit of the most cost-effective use of wind. Xcel Energy has become the nation's No. 1 utility wind provider while at the same time maintaining prices below the national average. Our customers deserve and expect that we apply similar discipline as we expand our efforts into solar.

Xcel Energy's recent proposal (pending Colorado Public Utilities Commission approval) of 170 megawatts of large-scale solar does just that — demonstrating that solar energy of this scale can compete with traditional energy sources and add value for our customers. Once completed, these projects will provide enough energy to serve about 60,000 Colorado homes. In contrast, obtaining this same amount of energy from small-scale, rooftop solar projects would cost nearly twice as much, while producing the same environmental benefits.

Common sense dictates that if we can obtain solar energy's environmental benefits at half the cost, we should.

One of the most challenging and controversial aspects of the discussion is the transparency of how solar is subsidized and how the incentives are offered. The discussion centers on the questions of fairness. We simply ask the questions: "Do the subsidies paid to solar installers unfairly shift costs to customers who don't have solar? Do solar owners unfairly benefit from using the grid while shifting grid costs to customers who don't have solar?"

We need to ensure policies are fair to all who use the electric grid. Ensuring a fair and competitive solar marketplace is one of the reasons why we proposed that the PUC take steps to ensure that subsidies and incentives paid to rooftop solar installers and customers are transparent to all. Surely, citizens deserve that information to make informed decisions.

We also need to recognize that solar, like all energy sources, has its limits, and we need to pursue a balanced energy portfolio that doesn't rely too heavily on any one source. Xcel Energy's research shows that peak solar production does not match peak customer requirements, meaning that even those who install solar on their rooftops can't rely completely on solar power for all of their energy needs.

That's why we need to invest in multiple energy sources — solar, wind, natural gas and coal — and we need to continue to find ways to deliver power from those sources in the cleanest, most cost-effective means possible.

Solar energy delivered from a range of solar installations from rooftop to large-scale, combined with fair and economically sustainable reimbursement policies, will make a major contribution to Colorado's clean, reliable energy future. We're looking forward to working with customers, citizens, government policymakers and the industry to make that future a reality.

Ben Fowke is chairman, president and chief executive of Xcel Energy.