Xcel Energy has a nice docket of anti-solar proposals for the PUC this Thursday designed to discourage energy conservation and make solar unaffordable for homeowners. The most sneaky is lowering residential electricity rates whilst increasing set monthly fixed grid-access charges and lowering pay rates for homeowners with solar arrays, and implementing “demand charges” for all customers….an extra fee (until now only charged to heavy industrial customers) based on your peak loads, like when the air conditioner, fridge and TV all turn on at the same time. The net result will actually be an increase in almost everyone’s electric bill, disguised under a “rate cut.”