I've shared this before, but energy doesn't look like it will ever be cheap in California. Even if electricity were generated for free, my public utility will still charge me $0.16/kWh to provide me with that "free" power using today's rates. I've got solar now, but life decisions have rendered my array size far too small for my current needs. I plan to leave the excessively taxed Golden state waaaaay before I could recoup a ROI to properly size my solar. I'll install proper solar on my future hill (no mountain here).
That is the short-term outlook. Consider the current technology, the current trend, and the fact that I have now used "current" three times in this sentence to lead up to this also being a pun.
Prices for batteries and solar panels will continue to be coaxed by Wright's Law lower and lower as production increases to meet the demand f a world full of people who see the benefit in divorcing their power company offers.
Eventually, every new structure (residential/commercial) will include solar and storage as part of the construction. Over time society will transition toward self-sufficiency, whether at the building level or the community level (possibly both) and central power generation and transmission will be less of a factor.
There is already legislation popping up requiring solar and battery accommodation for new construction. I expect this trend to continue.
Robotaxi use, and many people's choice to no longer own a car, will result in the retirement of many, many acres of parking lots. These can easily and profitably be converted to solar and battery sites while simultaneously providing shade for commercial and entertainment sites.
A lot of this isn't going to happen in my lifetime, but, the foundation is being laid and the trend will continue toward free energy because it increases the bottom line of any entity (personal, governmental, corporate) that evaluates the choice over a long term horizon.
The current power companies will be in the same pickle that the ICE OEMs are. They will be forced to downsize and find their place in the new system, or, simply go away. It will become economically unsound to buy their product for ever increasing prices when there is a less costly alternative.
What you are experiencing now is temporary, and real, but it may not be like this in ten years.
If instant gratification is what you are looking for, then voting with your wallet and moving to someplace that is already more accommodating is a good choice.
Good luck with that. Should have ripped the bandaid off instead of trying to be delicate.
And they’ll grow it fast, so you better hope your beloved Ford gets the lead out of their derrière because CT will outsell the Lightning all day long, every day right from the get go. It’ll be like Ford doesn’t know a thing about growing a ‘customer base’.
