Washington Report

Advocacy Updates from Washington D.C.

FTC Addresses Solar Power

NAR staff attended a workshop at the Federal Trade Commission focused on solar power.  Some of the issues discussed at the workshop included the costs and benefits of solar power, consumer protection, energy storage and solar panels on homes.

Jon Wellinghoff, the former head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, who now serves as the chief policy officer for SolarCity, a solar energy installer, said that because solar panels on homes provide energy to utilities, property owners should receive benefits for feeding energy into the grid.
Other panelists raised issues related to consumer fraud and the value of homes with solar panels verses those without panels.  FTC officials noted that the agency has already intervened in the distributed solar industry, invoking consumer protection to shut down illegal sales tactics like robocalls. The agency could also play a role in ensuring that electricity users have multiple options for their energy.

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