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Non-Tech : Kirk's Market Thoughts -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: robert b furman who wrote (15949)	5/9/2023 9:50:55 AM
From: Kirk ©	2 Recommendations Recommended By robert b furman Sr K Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 26590

Actually, CA has had this hidden tax in our rates for decades where "low income" residents get about 30% off what others pay then they had tiers so the more you used the higher your rates went which was an additional tax on large homes. The extra fees used to generate a large surplus so PG&E would go out looking for low income people who needed new, efficient appliances (gas furnaces and water heaters), attic insulation, CFL then LED light fixtures inside the house, etc... Fast forward a decade or two of this with the Government encouraging people to put solar on their roofs. The poor sure can't afford to do this but the wealthy could and many did. This removed the top users of electricity paying the jacked up rates from the mix and the funds to finance low income rates and efficiency programs fell. I used to warn a few friends that this would have to be made up for. The solution is to consider power a utility like the sewer and water hookups where what we pay is a mix of fixed plus variable... where those who conserve usually pay far more in the fixed than the variable. This is the first time I've seen the fixed part based on income where the lower rates are to encourage conversion to "all electric" homes and cars as well and subsidize low income users. I believe it should decouple from PG&E where the subsidy should come from the State and voters, not set by regulators who get free meals during pandemics indoors when the State had shut down most other businesses. That is our power rates are still very screwed up and we've just proven that you can't trust the "payback calculations" when suddenly after you install solar to save $100 a month on power that they will now charge you $90 a month in fixed cost to be hooked up to a grid you help supply with electrons on hot days.