Merrill
Merrill
I am told that what I pay on my electrical bill is distribution cost from PG&E and cost of power is from my CCA.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
California Utilities Plan All Out War On Solar, Please Read And Help
- Thread starter gene
- Start date
Given your background, can you explain why POCO's don't just break out the true fixed costs? The lack of transparency just makes it look like they are trying to hide something. I also find it troubling the CPUC has not forced such transparency and former CPUC members going to work at POCO's.
What are you charged for "distribution"?
To get at the "true" cost of distribution, it might make sense to look at systems where all parties' interests are better aligned. The best example of this I have seen is in municipalities, such as our neighboring city of Roseville. They charge $26/mo for distribution to everyone (solar or not) and their generation charges are much lower than what we pay in PG&E land right next door with nearly identical demographics and urban planning/density of our cities.
This suggests IOU are overcharging for energy and everyone needs to pay a more "fair" cost of distribution.
Merrill
Merrill
They do. Here's an example from my local utility (SDG&E) for the EV-TOU-5 tariff which I use.
UDC = Utility Distribution Company Total Rates (this is what SDG&E gets their return on)
DWR BC = Department of Water Resources Bond Charge (apparently the DWR had to buy electricity a long time ago and we're still paying for it - probably due to utility and regulator negligence)
WF-NBC = Wildfire Fund Non-Bypassable Charge (paying again for utility and regulator negligence)
EECC = Electric Energy Commodity Cost (actual cost of electricity)
DWR Credit = (no idea what this may be, but it's $0.00000 / kWh)
Last edited:
It’s even more convoluted than that. One needs to look further down the tariff rate schedule to see how they break out the UDC Total Rate:They do. Here's an example from my local utility (SDG&E) for the EV-TOU-5 tariff which I use.
UDC = Utility Distribution Company Total Rates (this is what SDG&E gets their return on)
DWR BC = Department of Water Resources Bond Charge (apparently the DWR had to buy electricity a long time ago and we're still paying for it - probably due to utility and regulator negligence)
WF-NBC = Wildfire Fund Non-Bypassable Charge (paying again for utility and regulator negligence)
EECC = Electric Energy Commodity Cost (actual cost of electricity)
DWR Credit = (no idea what this may be, but it's $0.00000 / kWh)
[will try to post here when system allows]
Except for a few people like us prodding around, the average rate payer has no idea what’s going on behind the curtain. In this tariff, the distribution and transmission components don’t make a whole lot of sense. They’re essentially saying that on-peak and off-peak transmission and distribution costs are the same (per kWh consumed), but then claim no transmission costs when using super-off-peak rates and 20% distribution when using super-off-peak.
On top of that at $16 monthly service fee is charged.
Last edited:
This particular rate is a bit unique as it's a special EV rate designed to give EV owners inexpensive super-off-peak rates in exchange for a flat service fee of $16. Most of the other residential rates have a minimum bill of $0.35/day, but for comparison, the regular EV-TOU-2 rate has super-off-peak rates around $0.24/kWh and the UDC for super-off-peak is much higher at $0.16 / kWh. The other non-EV residential rates all have flat UDC total rates regardless of time-of-use.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Looks like they pick random numbers to satisfy regulators. Wonder what real costs are?
They do. Here's an example from my local utility (SDG&E) for the EV-TOU-5 tariff which I use.
UDC = Utility Distribution Company Total Rates (this is what SDG&E gets their return on)
DWR BC = Department of Water Resources Bond Charge (apparently the DWR had to buy electricity a long time ago and we're still paying for it - probably due to utility and regulator negligence)
WF-NBC = Wildfire Fund Non-Bypassable Charge (paying again for utility and regulator negligence)
EECC = Electric Energy Commodity Cost (actual cost of electricity)
DWR Credit = (no idea what this may be, but it's $0.00000 / kWh)
I have seen similar info for PG&E but they do not include all the true fixed costs. Rather they are rate fees attributed to some of the fixed costs. Again, before getting to rate fees the POCO's should be required to provide full transparency on all true fixed costs.
FlatSix911
Porsche 918 Hybrid
Let's not forget about all of the additional fees for the recovery of over $21 Billion in Utility negligence by starting many California wildfires.
calmatters.org
"California grants a safety certificate to PG&E just after the utility came off probation for the deadly 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion. A “license to burn.”
That’s what environmental justice advocates are calling the safety certificate Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration issued to PG&E late Monday, allowing the utility to “recover catastrophic wildfire costs from its ratepayers” or from a $21 billion state insurance fund partly funded by surcharges on customers’ power bills for the next 20 years."
The news comes a week after PG&E exited five years of criminal probation for the 2010 San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people. Although the utility said it “has become a fundamentally safer company,” the federal judge charged with overseeing it disagreed. U.S. District Judge William Alsup: PG&E “will emerge from probation as a continuing menace to California.”
State under fire for granting PG&E safety license
California grants a safety certificate to PG&E just after the utility came off probation for the deadly 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion.
calmatters.org
"California grants a safety certificate to PG&E just after the utility came off probation for the deadly 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion. A “license to burn.”
That’s what environmental justice advocates are calling the safety certificate Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration issued to PG&E late Monday, allowing the utility to “recover catastrophic wildfire costs from its ratepayers” or from a $21 billion state insurance fund partly funded by surcharges on customers’ power bills for the next 20 years."
The news comes a week after PG&E exited five years of criminal probation for the 2010 San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people. Although the utility said it “has become a fundamentally safer company,” the federal judge charged with overseeing it disagreed. U.S. District Judge William Alsup: PG&E “will emerge from probation as a continuing menace to California.”
Last edited:
it looks like the vote on the proposed Successor Tariff (NEM 3.0) has been postponed.
pv-magazine-usa.com
California NEM 3.0 delayed indefinitely
The proposal, which came under fire from industry leaders, environmentalists, and working Californians, was called a rooftop solar-killing measure. Meanwhile, a new state board granted PG&E a provision to raise electric rates to recover its losses from the wildfires for which it was found liable.
pv-magazine-usa.com
Merrill
Merrill
The worst part of this is that the CPUC is allowing PG&E to raise rates to cover their lack of maintaining the infrastructure. Not sure how that is allowed, this also means they can just let their infrastructure deteriorate again and if the whole state is burned down they can continue to be in business and raise rates.
so, when and how much more will the electricity bills be going up?it looks like the vote on the proposed Successor Tariff (NEM 3.0) has been postponed.
California NEM 3.0 delayed indefinitely
The proposal, which came under fire from industry leaders, environmentalists, and working Californians, was called a rooftop solar-killing measure. Meanwhile, a new state board granted PG&E a provision to raise electric rates to recover its losses from the wildfires for which it was found liable.
Merrill
Merrill
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Florida House offers compromise to more rooftop solar users
But opposition to the bill remains.
Merrill
Merrill
All these arguments for gutting solar are full of inaccuracies, we know this is all about making more profit. Everyone needs to stand up and revolt against these power companies.
A closer look at the CPUC board members who approve SDG&E rate hikes
Commissioners appointed by the governor, vote on rate increases proposed every three years.
www.cbs8.com
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Florida House offers compromise to more rooftop solar users
But opposition to the bill remains.
Protest planned as Florida net metering bill could “set rooftop solar back a decade”
Under the proposed reduction to the compensation for excess solar generation, 93% of surveyed solar shoppers to say they are no longer interested in buying.
pv-magazine-usa.com
This has led utilities to argue that there has been a “cost shift” to non-solar customers. Paying for solar generation results in what the bill calls “increased cross-subsidization of the full cost of electric service onto the public utility’s general body of ratepayers.” However, today only about 90,000 of the 8.5 million electric customers in Florida are topped with solar. The utility argues that this some 1% of Floridians are creating significant costs for the other 99%. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s sixteen large-scale state-level studies on the cost shift argument that may suggest the bill’s assumptions stand on shaky ground. It found that 40 of the 43 states with net metering programs have a negligible cost increase attributable to solar, and the cost picture remains this way until solar penetration reaches 10% of the state’s total generation.
Similar threads
