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Why Californians Have Some of the Highest Power Bills in the U.S.
Wall Street Journal ^ | August 5, 2024 | Phred Dvorak

Posted on 08/06/2024 6:53:33 PM PDT by karpov

California is doing all it can to expand renewable energy production and rebuild its electrical infrastructure after flaws led to a series of devastating wildfires.

The state’s big utilities are spending billions to bury power lines and insulate wires, while at the same time moving quickly away from fossil fuels by building big solar and wind farms and transmission lines to carry the power.

As a result, resident Jessica Simpson Nehrer, who lives in Borrego Springs, near San Diego, has seen her electricity bill for her ranch-style house soar. It hit $1,873.90 in June, far exceeding her $1,200 rent and around double what it was two summers ago.

Grocery store owner Rodger Gucwa tried cutting his power bill by raising the thermostat to 85 degrees—but found that the chocolate bars melted.

Nationwide, the costs of utility companies’ capital investments are being passed on to customers. Those added fees, combined with higher inflation and a series of heat waves, mean painful bills for many this summer.

California has seen some of the sharpest increases in the country—electricity prices in the state have nearly doubled during the past decade and are now higher than those of anywhere but Hawaii. The consumer advocate’s office at California’s utilities regulator has called the trajectory “untenable.”

Lawmakers, regulators, utilities and consumer-advocacy groups in the state are battling over how to fix the rising power costs and questioning who should pay for them. Legislators are trying to make the state’s utilities regulator dial back a fixed monthly charge that big utilities will levy on consumers next year. Other politicians have tried to repeal a major cut in rooftop solar subsidies that had made it more affordable for some households to generate their own power.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; californication; electricity; energy; powerbills
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1 posted on 08/06/2024 6:53:33 PM PDT by karpov
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To: karpov
"moving quickly away from fossil fuels by building big solar and wind farms and transmission lines to carry the power."

Utility companies, unlike everyone else in California, are computing life cycle costs.

2 posted on 08/06/2024 6:59:42 PM PDT by Retain Mike ( Sat Cong)
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To: karpov

Plus they’ve had many of the most corrupt politicians and “regulators” anywhere. Not just D’s either


3 posted on 08/06/2024 7:00:39 PM PDT by faithhopecharity ("Politicians aren't born, they're excreted." Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 to 43 BCE))
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To: karpov; All
Thank you for referencing that article karpov.

"California is doing all it can to expand renewable energy production and rebuild its electrical infrastructure after flaws led to a series of devastating wildfires."


One critique that I've seen about California devastating wildfires is the following allegation.

Mother Jones says we know how to prevent forest fires from spreading, but the people who run California have chosen to do the exact opposite. (7.27.24)

Also, let's not allow the anti-Trump media try to fade our memories of what we witnessed on July 13.


4 posted on 08/06/2024 7:15:28 PM PDT by Amendment10
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To: karpov

I had a chat with a lady a few months ago who is an expert on all things grid. She told me that once you reach a certain percentage of “green” electricity in a given region, the grid becomes unstable. I think it was around 20%.


5 posted on 08/06/2024 7:50:55 PM PDT by Disambiguator
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To: karpov

When Ilived there and ran my biz it was dirt cheap. The Sierra Nevada reservoirs provided cheap power the entire Central Valley. Where I grew up we had geothermal. Now.... failed subsidized expensive garbage.


6 posted on 08/06/2024 8:14:35 PM PDT by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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To: karpov

Beverly Hills is Trump country.


7 posted on 08/06/2024 8:17:30 PM PDT by TornadoAlley3 ( I'm Proud To Be An Okie From Muskogee)
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To: karpov

It is only going to get worse.

Price in Germany currently is 39 cents per kWh

UK 27 cents

CA average is also 27 cents, so the Germany example shows it iwll go a lot higher.


8 posted on 08/06/2024 10:12:09 PM PDT by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: karpov

utilities have a shortage of battery storage to store the more than adequate solar generation.

So the utilities have passed that responsibility onto business and homeowners. All new residential construction requires solar installations. Under NEM 3, the rates the utility companies reimburse for exported wattage are drastically reduced AND can change by the hour:

“Solar systems under NEM 3.0 billing will earn, on average, 75% less for the excess electricity they push onto the grid...Under NEM 2.0, the value of solar exports is based on retail rates, so a kWh of electricity pushed onto the grid was worth the same as a kWh of electricity pulled off the grid. Under NEM 3.0, residential solar export rates will be based on an “Avoided Cost Calculator” and are closer to wholesale rates for electricity (what utilities pay for electricity).”
https://www.solar.com/learn/nem-3-0-proposal-and-impacts-for-california-homeowners/

if that’s not switch and bait enough, all new solar for businesses (and eventually for homes) will require on-site battery storage. This adds a cost of $6k-$30k (or more), depending on how many battery units one needs to power 100% of usage. On the downside, having a onsite battery or bank of batteries may likely affect your fire insurance policy, and, at end-of-lifecycle you’ll be hit with disposal costs:

“Known as the 2022 Energy Code, this will require all single-family homes to be electric-ready. It will also include guidance for installing battery storage systems. The battery portion of the mandate currently only applies to select businesses, but it’s a good indication of where future code updates are headed.”
https://simplysolar.com/blog/california-solar-mandates/

How much do solar batteries cost?
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/solar-energy/how-much-do-solar-batteries-cost.html


9 posted on 08/07/2024 1:08:55 AM PDT by blueplum ("...this moment is your moment: it belongs to you... " President Donald J. Trump, Jan 20, 2017) )
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To: karpov

Socialists Impose Shortages = Inflation


10 posted on 08/07/2024 2:01:09 AM PDT by linMcHlp
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To: Reverend Wright
Price in Germany currently is 39 cents per kWh

Germans are imbeciles.

11 posted on 08/07/2024 3:02:08 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (Trump/Vance 2024 or GFY)
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To: Reverend Wright

Texas 0.14/kWh. Three year contract.


12 posted on 08/07/2024 3:21:19 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$
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To: karpov
It hit $1,873.90 in June, far exceeding her $1,200 rent and around double what it was two summers ago.

Here in my "low income" densely populated, Democrat voting NE city, rent for a small 3BR apt, with no parking and small yard, and neighbors a few feet away, is typically around $2500 a month, or more, even if the building is in need of repair, and with one of the highest electricity rates.

But we are blessed (and pay about half the above rent), as the best place to work is where God put you to do His work, which needs Him.

13 posted on 08/07/2024 5:01:13 AM PDT by daniel1212 (Turn 2 the Lord Jesus who saves damned+destitute sinners on His acct, believe, b baptized+follow HIM)
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To: karpov

Democrats. Are. Evil. Morons. And. Morons. Vote. For. Them.


14 posted on 08/07/2024 6:14:09 AM PDT by TalBlack (I We have a Christian duty and a patriotic duty. God help us.)
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To: karpov

All the power companies in California instituted what they call “Time of Use” billing and forced everyone in to it, you can opt out, at least it was easy to go back to “Standard Billing” when it started, It’s a lot harder now because saving the planet costs money and they strongly discourage yo from switching back. I get regular emails letting me know that “time of Use” is much better and I should switch back...

People on Time of use billing are paying at least 3 times that of Standard billing customers for their electricity.


15 posted on 08/07/2024 6:44:03 AM PDT by eyeamok
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To: eyeamok

Where I live we have $.065 per KWH. AC? Crank that baby down!


16 posted on 08/07/2024 6:47:01 AM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp??)
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To: hal ogen

My bill last month for 2 houses with 4 weeks of 100 degree plus weather was $700, Under Time of Use for the 3 months I was forced to be on it, it5 cost me $200 to have 2 porch lights on in a house we weren’t even living in yet, it was brand new.


17 posted on 08/07/2024 6:51:03 AM PDT by eyeamok
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To: eyeamok

Looking at the map, Borrego Springs is in the desert closer to the Salton Sea than it is San Diego. Current weather is ~105F during the day and ~85F for overnight lows. AC is running 24/7..


18 posted on 08/07/2024 8:07:08 AM PDT by EVO X ( )
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To: Retain Mike

BURYING POWER LINES IN A STATE COVERED WITHE EARTHQUAKES ===BRILLIANT !!!!!


19 posted on 08/07/2024 9:07:16 AM PDT by ridesthemiles (not giving up on TRUMP---EVER)
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To: karpov

California is doing all it can to expand renewable energy production....

That is a lie

They just put solar companies out of business in the last year in the state of Kommiepornia


20 posted on 08/07/2024 10:51:18 AM PDT by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
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