Gas & Electric Rate Increase Tips Scale Toward Solar

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My friend and I were sharing stories the other day. This story is hers:

“As a long time Southern California resident, I never doubted my decision to go solar back in 2006. It’s hard to argue with positive cash flow from day one, but there are countless other times when the wisdom of generating my own electricity really hits home.

“Utility companies have announced large rate hikes for many of its customers effective September 2013 and RETROACTIVE TO JANUARY 1, 2012! OMG, I want to climb up on my roof and kiss each of my solar panels individually to thank them for all of the money they save/make me. My solar system is by far the hardest working home improvement I ever did especially in light of the massive SDGE rate increase.

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ALEC calls for penalties for ‘freerider’ homeowners in assault on clean energy

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An alliance of corporations and conservative activists is mobilising to penalise homeowners who install their own solar panels – casting them as “freeriders” – in a sweeping new offensive against renewable energy, the Guardian has learned. [*]

Over the coming year, the American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec) will promote legislation with goals ranging from penalising individual homeowners and weakening state clean energy regulations, to blocking the Environmental Protection Agency, which is Barack Obama’s main channel for climate action. [*]

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Solar Power Systems Save Utilities Transmission Costs

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It is true that solar-system owners are being compensated at a higher rate than wholesale energy suppliers, but the energy is being consumed on site. This reduces the stress on the power lines during peak load and can reduce the need to upgrade or add capacity to the existing network.

Dec. 1, 2013 3:38 p.m. ET

In response to your Nov. 20 editorial “Arizona’s Solar Flare-Up”:

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