DIY Solar Power System
June
Breaking news on rising rnergy costs in California…
From Associated Press : “Calif. regulators approve SoCal Edison rate hikes”
ROSEMEAD, Calif.—California regulators have approved a Southern California Edison Co. rate hike that adds $2 to $4 a month to the average residential bill.
Rosemead-based Edison says rate hikes are necessary to upgrade transmission lines and buy equipment.
The California Public Utilities Commission approved the increases Thursday. The hikes go into effect April 4.
PUC president Michael Peevey says it will add $2 to the average monthly residential bill of $85, but consumer groups estimate it’s closer to $4. Rates for business firms also increase.
Edison estimates 65 percent of its 4.3 million residential customers would see little or no change in their monthly charges because they participate in special programs for low-income families or consume little power.
From Orange County Register : “Regulators approve $2.1 Billion electric rate hike”
State regulators have approved a rate hike that will give Southern California Edison an extra $2.1 billion in revenue over the next three years.
The hike will raise the average residential bill $2 or so, to $85 a month, officials said.
Some details of the proposal changed on the dais, but regulators granted the utility $106 million for employee incentive pay, and $4.4 million to start re-licensing San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, where licenses expire in 2022.
Thursday morning, the California Public Utilities Commission chose the greater increase of two rate hike proposals before it, on a 4-1 vote. Emerging victorious was a slightly-scaled-down plan penned by commission president – and former Southern California Edison executive – Michael Peevey.
The rejected proposal would have given Southern California Edison a smaller increase – about $1.4 billion over three years. That was not enough.
“I cannot support a decision that would leave California hamstrung,” Peevey said. The less-expensive rate hike “would require deferral of vital infrastructure projects and potentially lay off hundreds of workers,” he said.
Commissioner Dian Grueneich was the only one to disagree.
“If ever there was a time to leave these dollars in the hands of Southern California Edison’s customers, now is the time,” said Grueneich.
The smaller increase was robust and prudent, she said. It would have saved ratepayers $765 million over the next three years, while still allowing Southern California Edison to invest in infrastructure.
Grueneich took particular exception to Southern California Edison’s claims that the smaller increase would force it to lay off 1,000 workers. “Edison’s claim defies logic,” she said, suggesting the utility was “crying wolf.”
More excerpts:
“Edison is taking advantage of economic concerns to drive through rate hikes that can only add to the pain,” TURN executive director Mark Toney said in a prepared statement. “The CPUC did all Edison customers a disservice today.”
That sentiment was echoed by the Division of Ratepayer Advocates, the PUC’s independent consumer advocacy arm. This decision gives Edison “excessive revenue increases,” it said in a prepared statement.
“The cumulative amount of the increases and the resulting rise in electric rates will impose an additional financial burden on Edison’s Southern California customers and households during these difficult economic times,” said DRA Deputy Director David Ashuckian in the statement.
For the full story click here .
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HelioPower joins other environmentally oriented companies to support the city of Palm Desert’s Bright Ideas Expo , this Saturday, March 14, from 11am to 3pm. The focus of this family oriented & kid-friendly Expo is: Ideas to save money on your energy bills, and living “green.”
The Expo will be held in the Palm Desert Civic Center Park, located at Fred Waring Drive and San Pablo Avenue. HelioPower local solar energy experts, Matt Rifkin and Matt McPherson, will be at Booth 29! Talk to our Palm Desert team about how we can help you reduce or eliminate your electric bill and use the city’s Energy Independence Program to finance the purchase.
For more information about the Palm Desert Energy Independence Program, click here.
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April
AB 811 Helps CA Towns Go Solar!
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The intent of the Legislature is that AB 811 should be used to finance the installation of distributed generation renewable energy sources or energy efficiency improvements that are permanently fixed to residential, commercial, industrial, or other real property.
AB 811 authorizes a property owner, upon written consent of an authorized city official, to purchase directly the related equipment and materials for the installation of distributed generation renewable energy sources or energy efficiency improvements and to contract directly for the installation of those sources or improvements.
Funding options include using the general fund, issuing municipal bonds, partnering with a utility to get financing or setting up private financing.
Palm Desert and Berkeley led the legislative charge to put AB 811 in place, and have now enabled hundreds of properties to be outfitted with energy efficiency and renewable energy systems including solar. The “Berkeley First” program was launched Nov. 07. Their pilot program is fully subscribed at $1.5 million. The Palm Desert Energy Independence program is now in its third round of financing, having installed $7.5 million in energy efficiency and solar photovoltaic systems in their town.
The Sonoma County Energy Independence program has completed a feasibility study and is planning on offering a $40 million program, which will also include water conservation systems.
San Diego is working on a “Solar Roof Program.” The pilot project will focus on 150 to 300 homes, and 1 technology – solar photovoltaic. Success for the pilot is deemed to be completing the financing cycle, collecting 150-200 loan packages, and aggregating those smaller loans into larger packages that can be sold off on the municipal bond market. Encinitas, Napa and Redlands are all in the exploration phase of AB 811 programs.
Cities like Anaheim and Santa Monica have solar supportive programs already in place. Santa Monica promotes solar adoption through its Solar Santa Monica program . Solar installation firms bid for program, and guarantee “group” pricing. HelioPower is a installer for this program.
All across California residents and property owners are working with their elected officials to find new and innovative ways to increase the use of sun to power our electricity needs.
For further information and a review of the legislation, click here . Support AB 811 adoption in your town!
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