Imperial, California - Imperial Irrigation District has filed civil litigation in Riverside County Superior Court against the Riverside County Board of Supervisors for knowingly adopting an unprecedented ordinance that conflicts with state law.

Ordinance No. 943 would require IID to scrap its publicly vetted and board adopted solar tariff, net energy billing, to create a new solar tariff that closely resembles that of a privately owned utility, Southern California Edison. All this at the request of a private business owner whose business is located in Riverside County and stands to directly benefit financially from the impacts of this ordinance. 

“While IID values its relationship with Riverside County, it will not sit idly by and allow the board to undermine the district’s responsibility to its customers in the Imperial and Coachella valleys,” said James Hanks, IID board president.

In addition to surpassing its state obligations under the net energy metering program, IID currently provides a similar solar tariff, net energy billing, to any of its customers who install residential solar systems. To date, IID customers have installed approximately 5,000 solar systems totaling more than 68 megawatts.