No, I’m not kidding. Truly, idiocy has no bounds.
In Spain, they appear to have actually done this, with fines up to 30 million Euros for non compliance.
The stupid, it sunburns. Air will be next. Breath tax.
From MISH’S Global Economic Trend Analysis:
link to Google translated article: El Pais, Spain Privatizes The Sun
If you get caught collecting photons of sunlight for your own use, you can be fined as much as 30 million euros.
If you were thinking the best energy option was to buy some solar panels that were down 80% in price, you can forget about it.
…
“The Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF), which brings together some 300 companies representing 85% of the industry, ensures that, implemented these changes, it would be more expensive solar consumption resorting to conventional supply. “It prevents the savings to consumers and paralyzes the entry of new competition in the electricity market,” contemplate. ”
Source: http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/07/spain-levies-consumption-tax-on-sunlight.html
h/t to OSSqss
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Can someone please find a Spanish source for this? I only see fringe blogs and costa rican articles on it.
I’m not finding any secondary sources for this story either, but, I’m still looking …
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One article from which this may have evolved:
http://www.energias-renovables.com/articulo/quien-le-ha-escrito-a-nadal-20130724
Paragraph excerpt, English translation via Google:
Sounds like the California situation, i.e., as Cali retail prices rise, it becomes cheaper for retailer consumers of electricity to buy their own solar cells (which are getting cheaper) and construct their own power sources … and this may be addressed by another “RD” (Royal Decree) in Spain at least …
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Another –
Title: “The electricity reform is a ‘burden’ for renewable energy and the consumption”
Subtitle: In this sense, the coordinator of the platform, Cote Romero, accused of “short-term” and “made to measure the five major electrical industries” energy policy of the present government
SUBMITTED BY: ECOTICIAS.COM / RED / AGENCIES, 24.07.2013, 10:28 H | (250) READS
First two paragraphs:
Bolding mine.
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Is anyone else reminded about the Window Tax in Prince and the Pauper? The pauper (posing as the prince/new king) refuses to sign into law a tax on windows as it would effectively be a tax on sunlight, which belongs to God alone.
How wonderful that our country’s greatest satirist made another one 150 years early.
You misunderstand the purpose of the toll. It’s to prevent the private homeowner or small business from setting up a solar system for their own private use with their own money should they find it otherwise to their economic advantage. It is to protect the feed-in tariff rent-seekers.
@Tom in Florida July 27, 2013 at 6:04 am
Galicia is a region overflowed by water, it rains A LOT there.
The law intends to tax ANY source of water that doesn’t come directly from the public/private service (rainwater collection seems the last resort).
OK at first I thought it was a joke, then I thought who has paid who to get this law through (Spain being the most corrupt place I have ever lived in). But maybe it is a stroke of genius. The tax applies to those who have grid electricity and solar. The Spanish grid is hopelessly inadequate. We are off-grid in Spain for the sole reason that the cables in our area are too small to add any more homes to. So we provide our own electricity using solar and as far as I can see we will not have to pay this tax, as will anyone who disconnects themselves from the grid and uses solar. Freeing up the grid to provide electricity to those without solar