When Jason Thornock applied for a grant from the Rural Energy for America Program after it was infused with over $1 billion in funds from former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, he envisioned installing rooftop solar panels on his ranch in Cokeville, Wyoming to help lower his electricity bill. Thornock figured he could generate enough power from the sunshine on his property to provide almost all of his electricity for several months of the year, with enough left over to add to his utility’s grid for credit on his electricity bill.
The solar power he generated—for his home and to send to the grid under a policy called net metering that compensates rooftop solar owners for the excess electricity they send to the utility––would significantly cut his $150,000 a year power bill, which has been rising steeply, he said.
In 2023, Thornock’s utility, Rocky Mountain Power, applied for a 30 percent…
