Utility Companies Archives - Page 3 of 7

Local Politics of Solar and Battery Storage

Dec 14, 2020 | Energy Politics, Utility Companies

Sometimes I think that the last thing we need is more electric utilities (except for the mini-utility our customers have with solar and batteries). But I make exceptions for new Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) utilities that are striving to reduce electricity costs...

Why is Electricity So Expensive?

Dec 6, 2020 | Economics, Energy Politics, Utility Companies

Why is Electricity So Expensive? We can complain all we want about the absurdly high price of electricity, but this situation is likely to persist for two reasons. First, electric companies are government-sanctioned monopoly utilities. There is usually only one...

Protect Your Solar and Battery Storage Rights

Sep 24, 2020 | Utility Companies

You just invested in a brand new EV charged by your rooftop solar and battery. Then, a year later, your utility adds a $50/month fixed charge to your bill just because you have rooftop solar. How would you feel? This scenario is not just hypothetical. Utilities all...

How Do I Interpret My PG&E Electric Bill?

Nov 15, 2019 | Utility Companies

Hold onto your seats because this is going to be the most exciting Energy Show I’ve ever done. This week we are talking about … DRUMROLL … your PG&E electric bill. Modern utility bills are a masterwork of corporate obfuscation (Wikipedia: the obscuring of...

A Power Shutoff Is Scheduled – How Does My Solar and Battery Work?

Nov 8, 2019 | Solar Technology, Utility Companies

Almost everyone in California is aware of the Public Safety Power Shutoff Program — when the utility turns off power to customers in large areas in an effort to reduce the risk of fires caused by utility lines. In October of 2019 the first series of these power...

Living With Public Safety Power Shutoffs

Aug 18, 2019 | Battery Storage Systems, Energy Technology, Utility Companies

PG&E, our local utility in Silicon Valley, caused a number of wildfires — including the recent Camp fire that destroyed the town of Paradise, killed 86 people and destroyed over 13,000 homes.The primary reason for this and other similar fires is that...