Redding Municipal Utility District Targets Solar Customers by Proposing Excessive Fixed-Rate Costs to All of Customers
KRCR TV Report on REU Attempt to Kill Solar Adoption
This is the trench where the fight over the future of renewable vs. carbon energy will be waged. Utilities make the case that solar customers, who use a process called "net metering" in order to get full credit for electricity produced during the day, are freeloading off the grid. This is the same thinly-veiled argument against competition and free choice that this nation fought over the disbanding of Ma Bell and big telco. Basing the majority of a customer's monthly bill on some fixed rate pulled from the sky, which will artificially subsidize the Kwh use rate -- will kill solar adoption in that utility district. This is the sole reason for this effort. This is my post on the KRCR news site:
The utility/REU committee argument that solar customers are subsidizing non-solar customers is a fallacy that has been consistently disproved across the nation. Solar customers produce their most energy during the peak of the day/during the peak of the summer when demand on the utility and its electricity costs are the highest. Solar customers HELP OPERATE THE GRID AT A LOWER EXPENSE because they don't require the utility to purchase nearly as much peak expense electricity from 3rd parties, and in fact produce excess electricity at this time the utility can sell at its full markup. Solar does impact utility profit margins, because solar customers do not have to buy so much electricity overall. Everyone (solar customers included) already pay their fair share to maintain the infrastructure if you take a hefty profit margin out of the equation. Let's call it what it is. Solar is clean, sustainable and affordable for everyone -- including the utility. They just don't like individual Americans exercising a free right to produce their own electricity. That is how a profit-driven government regulated monopoly acts and it is up to the individual citizen to resist, or forever be a victim of rampant rate hikes and lack of control."
I am hoping that here in the heart of State of Jefferson we can demonstrate that allowing the utility to establish Draconian rate structures such as this, is allowing institutional bullying by the government and the utilities because they don't like the rules changing after their 100 years of monopoly. This is a small utility, but it is a disturbing to see it in California, and it is a bellweather for the much larger fight brewing at the state Capitol with the largest utilities in the state.
