Elon Musk Calls Gavin Newsom's California Solar Tax a 'Bizarre Anti-Environment

MSN ^ | 1-12-20222 | Brendan Cole

[Vendome]

Elon Musk has attacked a draft plan under consideration in California that critics say disincentivizes the use of rooftop solar panels.

The Tesla founder was responding to changes proposed by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to the state's Net Energy Metering (NEM) program.

Under the program, the estimated 1.3 million homeowners and businesses in the Golden State who have installed rooftop solar panels can sell back surplus energy to the grid and receive credit on their bills.

But last month the CPUC released a proposal calling for a number of changes, one of which is how much customers are paid when they send power back to the grid, giving them the lower "actual avoided cost" instead.

Also there would be a "grid participation charge" of $8 per kilowatt on the solar systems of residential customers, adding up to $48 per month for customers of one provider, San Diego Gas & Electric, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Bizarre anti-environment move by govt of California https://t.co/1OwdBNWbxT
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 12, 2022

[Brian Griffin]

In my part of Florida the outside temperature varies from about 72 to 91 degrees in summer.

I like the temperature inside to be about 81 degrees in the day and a few degrees cooler at night.

My air conditioning load is not heavy.

[Brian Griffin]

https://www.mrosbornelaw.com/solar-energy-scams-what-to-look-out-for/

[Vendome]

How much does it weigh?

[Vendome]

That’s here in San Jose, CA

Eight people working from home and 4 refrigerators...

[paulcissa]

This is classic Bait & Switch. But because it’s the gubberment, they can simply sneer and pick your pocket.

[catnipman]

“selling” solar and wind power back to the grid is a total scam anyway as it’s always being sold back precisely at the moment when it’s least needed and does almost nothing to obviate the need for 100% fossil fuel backup to so-called “renewables” (hydro excepted) ...

[Drago]

Solar homeowners have 10’s of thousands of welfare $$ to subtract the reduced reimbursement from (years worth)...tax credits, rebates, and years of overpriced power “buy-back”. About $10K per installation depending on total watts.

Just buy your system outright with a (currently) low interest home improvement loan from a credit union and let the market decide if the $35K+ cost/pay off period is worth it in the free market.

[Drago]

https://www.solarreviews.com/solar-incentives/california

https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/demand-side-management/california-solar-initiative

https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/california-solar-incentives-calculator

[Myrddin]

Spinning the meter backwards isn't putting a burden on any other rate payer. Nor is the party spinning it backward getting a better rate. They are getting exactly what they would be billed pulling the power off the network. The power company gets a bonus by receiving power over distribution network that is already built out. The distortion is that the power company is a CPUC regulated entity that has been promised a designated rate of return on their invested capital equipment. The distribution network to the customer premise is part of the capital base that they are allowed to include in the rates. They believe that the privately owned solar panels are part of their capital base...that is an error. They are not entitled to a return on another party's capital investment.

[pjoseph]

Few questions. Do solar users pay their “fair” share to support the grid infrastructure? Also do they pay taxes equal to non solar customers? If they do not pay their share for infrastructure and taxes, we can expect the gov’t (like California) to step in and charge solar customers
Just wait till a lot of people own electric vehicles and don’t pay gas taxes. The gov’t will jump in faster than a crack addict who can’t get his heroin.

[Pocketdoor]

Fixed? They are telling me 2.9% increase per year. I’m not sure if I should do it.

[Pocketdoor]

There is a 10$ a month connection fee. I think taxes are also paid. Looks like they want to up the connection fee to 48$ also.

[tlozo]

Spinning the meter backwards isn't putting a burden on any other rate payer.

Utility companies are FORCED to buy this electricity at a higher rate than they can attain from other sources. This raises the price of electricity to all other customers.

[BJ1]

I was given an option. A higher monthly rate initially fixed. Or a lower rate with an annual 2.9% rate of increase. I don’t plan on moving and will retire here so I chose the fixed rate. If you also want fixed ask if it’s an option for you.