HEADLINE: Higher Electric Rates and More Blackouts
Unfortunately, this is the new normal for most of the U.S. In other words: SNAFU
This situation will not change. It’s a little-known fact that utilities use our money to influence politicians to maintain their monopoly. To the tune of $18m in California just in 2022. Government regulators are supposed to ensure that utilities provide inexpensive, reliable and safe power. However, this poorly regulated capitalism is not working. Just look at your electric bills over the past few years. Count the number of blackouts you’ve had. Heard about any wildfires recently?
Solar is the cheapest way to generate electricity, and batteries are a cost effective and reliable way to keep that power flowing. But ONLY when you own those solar panels and batteries. In spite of all the solar and battery investments made by utilities, our rates keep going up. We’re experiencing record numbers of blackouts. And wildfires are becoming commonplace.
The electricity game is rigged. New electric rates in California are cheapest in the middle of the day when there is abundant solar generation. But at night rates are more than double. So ordinary solar customers are forced to sell power back at low rates during the day, and buy power at high rates at night. Buy high. Sell low.
You can beat the utilities at their own game if you have rooftop solar combined with a battery. Or two. Store your own solar-generated electricity in your battery, and then use that electricity at night. Buy low. Sell high. Plus you’ll have backup power during the next blackout. You don’t need an MBA to figure that out.
Please tune into this week’s Energy Show for more details about California’s new electric rates — and how you can save money by adding a battery to your solar system.
To learn more about how Investing in solar and storage delivers more than just keeping the lights on, please listen to this episode of The Energy Show.