California Cuts Back Home Solar Paybacks

Sneakers

Just sneakin' around....
California will significantly cut back the payments to solar homeowners, citing that it is not monetarily worthwhile. If homeowners want any benefits or ROI from their solar panels, they'll need to install battery banks at a significantly higher cost.

The Public Utilities Commission approved Net Energy Metering 3.0, slashing payments for sending rooftop solar production to the grid. New rooftop solar projects are now considered uneconomical without an attached battery.
Payments were cut as a result of a reported cost shift where non-solar owners cross-subsidize solar owners for maintaining the grid. The utility-backed concept suggests poorer Californians are paying higher utility rates to pay for lost profits that utilities endure in order to pay solar owner for delivering clean energy to the grid.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory studied the effect, and found that for the vast majority of states and utilities, the effects of distributed solar on retail electricity prices will likely remain negligible for the foreseeable future.” The study found that distributed solar “likely entails no more than a 0.03 cent/kWh long-run increase in U.S. average retail electricity prices, and far smaller than that for most utilities.”

 

Sneakers

Just sneakin' around....
Cascade effect about to happen. Loss of benefits means far fewer will invest in solar rooftops. Auto owners forced to go to EVs, higher strain on the grid. More blackouts. Loss of installer jobs. Spiral downward.

But CA is saving the planet. Screw the people.
 

Sneakers

Just sneakin' around....
And to make it even MORE interesting?

Back in 2020 CA adopted a building code that says ALL NEW HOMES MUST HAVE GRID TIE.

:lmao:
 
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