[redpoint5]

One of the things these subsidies do is make companies uninterested in competing for the contract. The first guy that came out spent 3hrs talking my ear off, informally quoted a $33k 10.4 kW system, then sent me an email saying they aren't interested in the job. Another outfit 45 minutes away said we were outside their service area. What, do they serve Corvallis only?

One of these subsidies runs out in the middle of this year, and the solar installers will all be fighting tooth and nail for jobs when they have a bunch of idle workers. It's disgusting how Oregon government creates these market distortions just so politicians can pay lip service to "being tough on pollution", and creating x number of "green" jobs (which will more than disappear once the subsidy runs out). I guarantee there was no specific objective laid out when the bill was passed, which should be illegal.

Had the subsidies not been there, the solar companies could enjoy a steady amount of work based on normal demand levels. Instead they spring up while the subsidy is here, and go under once they dry up.

If the government were really interested in efficient use of resources, they would implement tiered pricing so that the first block of electricity consumption was cheap, and each incremental amount gets more expensive. It's progressive too because the poorer people can get cheap electricity for their essential need, and those with more financial means can pay more for the luxury.

Nope, instead we get regressive subsidies that allow relatively wealthy people to pat themselves on the back for being great environmentalists by installing solar in a very poor location, at public expense.