Anyone know the major differences between San Jose's power co and Santa Clara's? When SJ announced they were doing municipal power, I figured there would be greatly decreased rates similar to what you see in Santa Clara (~50% off PG&E currently). Are there plans to realize more than a 1% savings, or is it solely about cleaner energy?
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Silicon Valley Clean Energy CCA (Santa Clara County)
- Thread starter miimura
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- California USA
Santa Clara is a true municipal utility where they do their own billing. I believe San Jose is starting their own CCA. So, I would expect it to be similar to Silicon Valley Clean Energy where they only handle energy procurement and PG&E still does all the distribution and billing. Honestly, if San Jose wanted a CCA, I don't know why they didn't just join SVCE when it started up.
Because they're San Jose, it's not like they were not invited. They're the self proclaimed capital of Silicon Valley after all.
Sherlo
Member
They told me that the delivery charges work the same as before with net metering... With the only difference being that SVCE will pay more for excess power generation. I guess I will let it run and see what happens.[/QUOTE]
Little late to this discussion but have a question for those with solar on SVCE. I recently installed a couple PWs and looking for advice on whether to stay with SVCE or go back to PGE. Before PWs, my true-up has been around $700 with SVCE. We run break-even after summer but during December-February we flip deficit. I was hoping to bank more credits with PWs to offset the negative usage in the winter months. Thoughts or advice?
Little late to this discussion but have a question for those with solar on SVCE. I recently installed a couple PWs and looking for advice on whether to stay with SVCE or go back to PGE. Before PWs, my true-up has been around $700 with SVCE. We run break-even after summer but during December-February we flip deficit. I was hoping to bank more credits with PWs to offset the negative usage in the winter months. Thoughts or advice?
The difference in total pricing between PG&E and SVCE is so small that it doesn't matter. SVCE is slightly cheaper. There are two main things that are different:
1. You have to pay any net amount you owe to SVCE as it appears on your blue bill. This means that if you start your true-up in the Winter, you will have to pay those as you go. SVCE only carry over credit balances in their true-up cycle.
2. When you end the true-up cycle, SVCE will pay you any credit balance over $200. Smaller amounts roll over to the next year. They do not wipe out any credits.
With the Powerwalls you can eliminate your peak usage and earn the maximum solar credits during Peak hours. As such, you should save some money. How much your bill will change really depends on how much power you use during Peak. Personally, I have a small solar array and have very little Winter generation, so that limits my savings in that season. I also don't have central A/C, so I don't use that much power during Summer Peak hours either.
Sherlo
Member
For those who may have a choice in Northern California's SF bay area to chose Silicon Valley Clean Energy, just thought I'd link to their rate schedule for generating electricity through them.
FlatSix911
Porsche 918 Hybrid
Thanks for posting... do the phased transition dates from the PG&E grandfathered rate plans like E-6 remain the same with SVCE?
I believe that's the case. I'm still on E-6 and I'm with SVCE.
The SVCE board recently voted to revise their NEM Annual Cashout Policy. I received a letter in the mail about policy change today.
In the past, and through the April 2022 cashout, SVCE will pay their retail generation rates for any surplus energy you sent to the grid during your true-up period. This includes TOU pricing. Basically, any credit balance above $100 would be paid out by check and lesser amounts would be rolled over to the next annual period. After the April 2022 cashout, SVCE will only pay 200% of the PG&E Net Surplus Compensation rate for any net surplus kWh. For CARE/FERA customers (low income qualified) they will pay 250% of the PG&E NSC rate.
Their solar page below describes the new policy.
In the past, and through the April 2022 cashout, SVCE will pay their retail generation rates for any surplus energy you sent to the grid during your true-up period. This includes TOU pricing. Basically, any credit balance above $100 would be paid out by check and lesser amounts would be rolled over to the next annual period. After the April 2022 cashout, SVCE will only pay 200% of the PG&E Net Surplus Compensation rate for any net surplus kWh. For CARE/FERA customers (low income qualified) they will pay 250% of the PG&E NSC rate.
Their solar page below describes the new policy.
Sonoma Clean Power and Marin Clean Energy have made similar policies. I went to one of the SCP meetings where this was discussed and the philosophy was to put that money into other incentive programs. I agree with the concept that rewarding over generation does not contribute as much as well designed incentive programs. Ironically I tried to take advantage of their Heat Pump Water Heater program but the cost from the selected vendors was a lot more than I could buy and install a HPWH myself, even after the incentive.
SVCE has a $2,000 rebate for HPWH. An 80 gallon high efficiency unit costs ~$2,250. Of course, most people who are replacing a gas water heater will also have additional costs like running a 30A 240V circuit to the water heater location, permits and installation. If you are on CARE rates, you can get an additional $1,500rebate.
I have been thinking about how this will actually work. SVCE has a policy that you have to pay any positive balance for a given billing cycle. If you happen to start your true-up cycle in the Winter, you may pay some amount due before your Generation Charges go negative. If you finish the true-up cycle with a credit balance, but you did pay during the beginning months, they should refund those initial payments. I am assuming any further credit balance will be wiped out. If you don't have a net surplus kWh for the whole true-up cycle, then that will be it. If you do have a net surplus, then they will pay an additional amount equal to double the PG&E NSC rate. PG&E publishes the NSC rate monthly, so the rate in effect at the time of your true-up would apply. See link below.
FlatSix911
Porsche 918 Hybrid
I received the same letter and I'm not happy that SVCE will no longer pay customers at the retail rate for any net surplus generation.The SVCE board recently voted to revise their NEM Annual Cashout Policy. I received a letter in the mail about policy change today.
In the past, and through the April 2022 cashout, SVCE will pay their retail generation rates for any surplus energy you sent to the grid during your true-up period. This includes TOU pricing. Basically, any credit balance above $100 would be paid out by check and lesser amounts would be rolled over to the next annual period. After the April 2022 cashout, SVCE will only pay 200% of the PG&E Net Surplus Compensation rate for any net surplus kWh. For CARE/FERA customers (low income qualified) they will pay 250% of the PG&E NSC rate.
Their solar page below describes the new policy.
They are doing the same thing that PG&E has perfected... moving the goalpost for credits after the customer investment has been made.
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Another SVCE change, though one that probably only affects a small subset of customers. To date, SVCE has waived the PCIA charge for Medical Baseline customers, but this is being phased out from 2022 to 2025. Roughly with the typical PCIA vintage being about $0.04/kwh, customers will start paying 1 cent of that in 2022, 2 cents in 2023, 3 cents in 2024, and then the full PCIA in 2025.
I think the PCIA waiver only affected the monthly kwh consumption within the baseline allocations (including the additional Medical Baseline allocation, and also thus only impacted the rate plans that have a baseline, e.g. E-1, E-6, E-TOU-A, E-TOU-C. Plans like EV-A, EV2-A never even had the PCIA waiver since they never had a baseline.
Probably won't impact anyone's decision to opt in or out of SVCE, but may impact which rate plan to choose, especially for EV driving households..
I think the PCIA waiver only affected the monthly kwh consumption within the baseline allocations (including the additional Medical Baseline allocation, and also thus only impacted the rate plans that have a baseline, e.g. E-1, E-6, E-TOU-A, E-TOU-C. Plans like EV-A, EV2-A never even had the PCIA waiver since they never had a baseline.
Probably won't impact anyone's decision to opt in or out of SVCE, but may impact which rate plan to choose, especially for EV driving households..
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