Editorial Board : wsj – excerpt
Democrats want to repeal the graduated income tax on electricity they passed two years ago.
Remember Nancy Pelosi’s famous line that Democrats had to pass ObamaCare to learn what was in it? Democrats in Sacramento are now having second thoughts about a law they passed two years ago that would effectively establish a second progressive income tax in California.
Democrats last week introduced legislation to repeal a 2022 budget bill that authorized the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to restructure electricity rates by imposing a fixed charge on an income-graduated basis. The budget bill’s purpose was to reduce the state’s skyrocketing rates for lower-income people and shift utility costs to higher earners.
Average residential rates for investor-owned utility customers have surged by 72% to 127% over the past 10 years. About 2.5 million households are behind on their bills, averaging $733 in arrears...(more)
California introduces bill to assess rooftop solar net metering
By Ryan Kennedy : PVmagazine – excerpt
California Assembly member Laura Friedman has introduced a bill to require the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to consider the costs and benefits of rooftop solar and its non-energy benefits when designing net-metering rates.
California Assembly member Laura Friedman has introduced AB 2256, which would require the CPUC to fully consider the costs and benefits of rooftop solar when revisiting its net energy metering (NEM) tariff…
Save Solar coalition
Also this week, more than 60 organizations submitted letters to Governor Gavin Newsom, state legislative leaders, and the CPUC to call for immediate action to restore the state’s rooftop solar growth. The letter to the governor can be found here…(more)
This reminds me of the cigarette wars. We are getting the big energy lies about solar and other renewables because they feel threatened by loss of customers, but, the solar rooftop providers should be considered a primary energy source that can add to the grid, not a competitor.
RELATED: PG&E CEO has hopes bills will fall soon: Patricia Poppe, the utility’s top boss, said the utility is looking for ways to curb the surge in monthly bills. She said one way to do that is to do less vegetation management.
Art of Solar 