California Utilities Plan All Out War On Solar, Please Read And Help

[gene]

I just spent a few hours this morning over a meal with David Rosenfeld who is the founder and main energy behind California Solar Rights Alliance. It was Dave who lobbied Biodiversity.org to get involved in the law suit against NEM3.

I have been doing a monthly donation to Solar Rights Alliance for years now as my money is well spent in this fight. This isn't just about solar or money, but also about the bigger picture of distributed micro grids and climate change. These guys are really doing great and tireless work.

What happens in California has dire ramifications for all the rest of the USA. Even if you are not from California, this should matter to you as well. Please consider a donation.

If you are in California, it is your state assembly member who is in the best position to repeal the utility tax. Please call them, write them, or better yet, walk into their office and "motivate" them. There is good suggestions on strategy on the link below.

The Solar Rights Alliance has a plan for the fight against this utility tax and the can use some more funds for it. Your money goes a long ways with this group. Please consider joining them financially with a monthly support. Proposed Utility Tax would increase electricity bills for millions, undermine rooftop solar, and discourage conservation

 

[Big Dog]

I just spent a few hours this morning over a meal with David Rosenfeld who is the founder and main energy behind California Solar Rights Alliance. It was Dave who lobbied Biodiversity.org to get involved in the law suit against NEM3.

I have been doing a monthly donation to Solar Rights Alliance for years now as my money is well spent in this fight. This isn't just about solar or money, but also about the bigger picture of distributed micro grids and climate change. These guys are really doing great and tireless work.

What happens in California has dire ramifications for all the rest of the USA. Even if you are not from California, this should matter to you as well. Please consider a donation.

If you are in California, it is your state assembly member who is in the best position to repeal the utility tax. Please call them, write them, or better yet, walk into their office and "motivate" them. There is good suggestions on strategy on the link below.

The Solar Rights Alliance has a plan for the fight against this utility tax and the can use some more funds for it. Your money goes a long ways with this group. Please consider joining them financially with a monthly support. Proposed Utility Tax would increase electricity bills for millions, undermine rooftop solar, and discourage conservation

I appreciating you fighting the good fight, but am skeptical that the legislature will change the law. It wasn't like this clause was some clause stuck in at the last minute. The politicos knew what they were doing, and did it anyway. The Governor's office even provided comments before teh law was passed.

 

[mspohr]

I appreciating you fighting the good fight, but am skeptical that the legislature will change the law. It wasn't like this clause was some clause stuck in at the last minute. The politicos knew what they were doing, and did it anyway. The Governor's office even provided comments before teh law was passed.

Governor and politicians are all bought and paid for by PGE.

 

[Tam]

Governor and politicians are all bought and paid for by PGE.

The public needs to buy out PGE and make it into a public utility so it can serve the public.

 

[mspohr]

The public needs to buy out PGE and make it into a public utility so it can serve the public.

They had an opportunity to do that after the last big fire when PGE went bankrupt but they opted to bail them out.
Bought and paid for.

 

[gene]

Governor and politicians are all bought and paid for by PGE.

The #1 donors to Newsom and all the democrats (as they are in the majority)are the 3 for profit utilities. Thanks to this, Newsom has loaded the PUC with utility puppets.

 

[dfwatt]

The #1 donors to Newsom and all the democrats (as they are in the majority)are the 3 for profit utilities. Thanks to this, Newsom has loaded the PUC with utility puppets.

That's disgusting.

 

[Big Dog]

the payors are broad-based, and most only care about their own industry, and have no idea of the PUC rates. Reed Hastings (Netflix), for example, is salivating about Net-Neutrality for obvious reasons. Donors in RE care about that industry.

Recall money wars: What do Newsom's million-dollar donors want?

The governor's big financial backers, including unions for teachers and prison guards, are coming to his rescue in the California recall.

calmatters.org

 

[Ed Hart]

It's alarming that California government wants to promote solar and the utilities treat residential solar owners like dirt.

Solar owners need incentives, not punishments.

Instead of solarize their electricity, they create fees to increase revenues: connection fee, infrastructure fee... and now income-based fixed charge fee

This !income-based fixed charge fee is the worst idea for conservation. Notice that it's fixed, constant, doesn't change unless your income change.

For those with $180,000 income, whether you use zero or massive kilowatts, you still have to pay the $120 monthly fixed charge minimum!

That also includes those who overproduce their solar or not at all, they still have to pay $120 monthly fixed charge minimum based on their $180,000 income.

Income-based fixed charge fee is another scheme to attack residential solar!

Yes....the reality check is that California believes anyone with a high income is evil and both a polluter and racist.

 

[mspohr]

Yes....the reality check is that California believes anyone with a high income is evil and both a polluter and racist.

No. This is just the power companies maximizing profit

 

[Tam]

Yes....the reality check is that California believes anyone with a high income is evil and both a polluter and racist.

I agree with @mspohr.

Utilities want to kill off its competitor, residential solar, so it wants to portray customers badly.

 

[Big Dog]

No. This is just the power companies maximizing profit

Both can be true. Progressives are all about wealth redistribution AND corporations want to maximize their profits (and eliminate competition).

 

[dfwatt]

Both can be true. Progressives are all about wealth redistribution AND corporations want to maximize their profits (and eliminate competition).

Speak for yourself. The notion that some real substantive agenda to redistribute wealth is really at the heart of the b******* put out by public utilities most especially in California is not great reality testing. That's the thin veneer of populist rationalization over the plutocratic preservation of a monopoly, and one with the highest energy costs in the country and the lowest ratings by the populace for reliability and value. This is robber barons pretending (and trying to convince a relatively easily brainwashed public) they are actually Robin Hood. A bit surprised someone as smart as you can't see that.

California rooftop solar installations drop 80% following NEM 3.0

Over 17,000 layoffs have occurred, representing 22% of the industry. More job losses are expected.

pv-magazine-usa.com

 

[SageBrush]

Progressives are all about wealth redistribution

Speak for yourself.

I sometimes label myself a progressive, but that mostly means to me that I am able to recognize AGW. Wealth redistribution is not really on my agenda except where education for equal opportunity comes up, or the fossil fuel barons come out of their holes

 

[Ed Hart]

No. This is just the power companies maximizing profit

The utilities don't care where the money comes from. The concept of an income-based utility fee is from the bureaucrats and politicians.

 

[sunwarriors]

The utilities don't care where the money comes from. The concept of an income-based utility fee is from the bureaucrats and politicians.

They don't care, but this income thing is here probably because a higher flat fee for everyone isn't probably going to pass or keep them elected/in office. This is why they have to use class warfare/income based solutions to misdirect to someone else as taking advantage.

A more fair system is everyone just pays the same lowest possible grid fee really. Better yet, kill off the IOUs and make them all more localized, self governing, self managed utilities that's non-profit. Yeah, government managed is crap, but I keep saying the structure of IOUs with profit vs. environment, cost, stability, etc doesn't work and that is why we're in this state.

I'm not using a VPP based solution, but if it was a local based grid, I'd be willing to help my local community.

 

[Big Dog]

Speak for yourself. The notion that some real substantive agenda to redistribute wealth is really at the heart of the b******* put out by public utilities most especially in California is not great reality testing. That's the thin veneer of populist rationalization over the plutocratic preservation of a monopoly, and one with the highest energy costs in the country and the lowest ratings by the populace for reliability and value. This is robber barons pretending (and trying to convince a relatively easily brainwashed public) they are actually Robin Hood. A bit surprised someone as smart as you can't see that.

California rooftop solar installations drop 80% following NEM 3.0

Over 17,000 layoffs have occurred, representing 22% of the industry. More job losses are expected.

pv-magazine-usa.com

Again, they are only implementing state LAW. The Legislature directed the Utils to start charging by income. It is the State Legislature that is driving this. Does it help the utilities? Sure, but the Legislature could have put on their big-person pants and just said, No. Instead, they bent over and said, Yes. Teh State Utility Commission Board is comprised of appointees of the Governor. If he did not like what they were doing, he could remove them. But he doesn't.

 

[Tam]

How California’s AB 205 gave birth to the income-graduated fixed charge

An innocuous clause in Assembly Bill 205 has unleashed a fury among Californians that no assemblymember could have imagined: (e) (1) For the purposes of this section and Section 739.1, the commission may authorize fixed charges for any rate schedule applicable to a residential customer account...

energycentral.com

It argues it's an optional "may", not a mandate "shall":

"(e) (1) For the purposes of this section and Section 739.1, the commission may authorize fixed charges for any rate schedule applicable to a residential customer account. The fixed charge shall be established on an income-graduated basis with no fewer than three income thresholds so that a low-income ratepayer in each baseline territory would realize a lower average monthly bill without making any changes in usage. The commission shall, no later than July 1, 2024, authorize a fixed charge for default residential rates."

 

[cali8484]

California regulators cut incentives for rooftop solar even further

The CPUC insists it wants people to add batteries to solar systems to help the grid. But it just cut the compensation that households can earn by doing it.

www.canarymedia.com

Looks like CPUC is working hard to minimize the ROI of batteries.

 

[sunwarriors]

California regulators cut incentives for rooftop solar even further

The CPUC insists it wants people to add batteries to solar systems to help the grid. But it just cut the compensation that households can earn by doing it.

www.canarymedia.com

Looks like CPUC is working hard to minimize the ROI of batteries.

What a mess reading this. This sounds like signing up for VPP without them giving you anything now for any exports since assuming power is 1/3 gen, 2/3 delivery, your own gen and exports can now only cancel out the 1/3 gen part.

Since homeowners don't technically delivery anything, that will never cancel/credit out.

I wouldn't be against tossing out Newsom and the whole CPUC already. They all seem to be on the payroll of the IOUs.