As a Jackson County REMC customer, I often browse through the monthly membership magazine that comes in the mail.

Sometimes, the subject featured on the front cover interests me. But I nearly always take notice of any article that relates to sustainability in electricity generation.

I want to know about developments in our transition away from the unhealthy and environmentally destructive burning of coal. It has much to do with Indiana’s status as one of the country’s unhealthiest environments. The prevailing wind out of the southwest unfortunately puts us downwind from numerous coal-burning power plants in southwestern Indiana, including the one which generates the electricity Jackson County REMC buys to sell to us.

So I took notice of the article on page 6 of the March edition, “WE ARE HERE TO HELP: Ready to answer your solar energy questions.”

Our REMC acknowledges, according to the article, that “Solar energy is a booming technology … many people are considering installing in their homes.” It also notes, however, “Solar technology is still in an early phase … (and) short-term significant savings is not likely currently …”

As a Jackson County REMC customer with a solar installation, I can shed some light on why that is. One must remain connected to the existing electrical grid even though installing solar. No quantity of solar panels provides electricity at night, and battery storage isn’t cost competitive enough yet for many homeowners. By day, the solar array can provide electricity needed in the home, and any additional produced is distributed back to the utility electrical grid.

One of the desired goals and benefits which justify installing solar is this reduces the amount of utility electricity used, resulting in a lower consumer monthly bill and cleaner air. To me, electricity from solar panels sent to the grid seems like returning something purchased at the store and getting a refund — a full refund.

However, that’s not how our REMC sees it. It charges customers about 10 cents per kilowatt hour (kwh) of electricity it provides under its fixed utility rate. But it only pays me just under 3 cents per each kwh of solar power distributed to the grid.

Is REMC’s electricity any better than mine? Does it require some sort of processing or special handling?

No and no. REMC can sell my excess solar electricity to my next-door neighbor for 10 cents/kwh. If that neighbor is on seasonal or time-of-day rates, it can sell it for as much as 32 cents/kwh.

That’s pretty good work if you can find it. Monopolies like REMC’s can find it any time a solar array is installed.

Jackson County REMC says it should only pay me what it pays wholesale for electricity, what it calls the “avoided cost.” It probably does pay just $.029/kwh. And gets that electricity at a coal-burning plant west of Sullivan, Indiana. So it must be transmitted over 100 miles on long-distance power transmission lines to REMC sub stations, then to the local grid lines before it gets to any REMC customers.

My electricity is already on the grid and requires no such expensive, vast infrastructure to sell to my next-door neighbor or even back to me.

Some of that $.029/kwh electricity bought wholesale near Sullivan never gets here. With long-distance transmission, there is “line loss” of electricity. Line loss and long-distance transmission costs are also “avoided” with local solar distribution. REMC avoids that consideration.

I’ve never felt like this is a fair arrangement, and I’ve attempted to bring it to the attention of Jackson County REMC’s board of directors. After all, it’s a membership co-op, so it shouldn’t be a problem to have a rational discussion, right?

Many attempts to have such a conversation have shown me better. A phone call to the REMC office informed me I needed an invitation to come to a board meeting. A string of many attempts to contact my District 9 board member, John Miller, showed me he was not at all interested in returning my calls.

Consequently, I can’t escape the idea that my REMC is a “membership co-op” in name, but not so much in truth. And I don’t see much reason to think my REMC cares about our air quality or the huge piles of toxic coal ash that come with power plants like theirs.

It seemed to be all in with going green when it was passing out free energy-saving light bulbs, and it can help local dealers sell more geothermal heating and hot water heating systems with the rebates it doles out.

But it does seem to have any such enthusiasm for solar photovoltaic panels. Maybe when that coal-burning plant over by Sullivan gets shutdown, which is inevitable, Jackson County REMC will think maybe it would’ve been better to have a bit less of a cold shoulder toward solar. I hope it does much sooner. We’ll all breathe better for it.

Kevin Fleming is a Jackson County REMC customer who lives in southern Brown County near the Jackson County line.