SDG&E Wants To Nearly Quadruple Its Minimum Charge To Customers

[rwb1921]

I guess this had to happen eventually - aimed at us solar users here in San Diego and South Orange County. I would expect it to spread to other areas soon too. Just cannot win sometimes.....

https://www.kpbs.org/news/2019/aug/12/sdge-looking-increase-costs-some-customers-while-r/

[azdave]

I would expect it to spread to other areas soon too.

Already a done deal here in AZ. That's what happens when the state's largest utility spends millions of profits from our own utility bills to "purchase" members on the corporate commission that are supposed to protect the public interests from monopolies like APS and SRP.

Just this March, APS finally admitted they had done exactly that to the tune of over $14,000,000 of hidden donations to their favorite candidates. Less than 2 month after their candidates won, net metering was significantly gutted in Arizona by the new commission members voting in favor of requested APS changes.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/energy/2019/03/29/arizona-public-service-admits-spending-millions-2014-corporation-commission-races/3317121002
After years of refusing to acknowledge it, Arizona's biggest electric company on Friday affirmed that it donated millions to dark-money political groups in 2014 that helped elect two candidates who would set prices APS charges customers.

[Ampster]

I think the same thing will happen in Northern California when PG&E settles their claims for wildfire liability. Also in California NEM 2.0 is going to expire in a year. My pessimistic prediction is for more fixed charges, less favorable rate periods for solar and more Non Bypassable charges. I am glad I have a hybrid inverter and some grandfathering protection via NEM 1.0 ond NEM 2.0.

[malba2366]

Inevitable as more people get solar. Maintaining the grid and backup generation capacity is not free. For this reason it is best to hedge your energy purchases by keeping solar capacity to 70-75%of your usage.

[bcroe]

Inevitable as more people get solar. Maintaining the grid and backup generation capacity is not free. For this reason it is best to hedge your energy purchases by keeping solar capacity to 70-75% of your usage.

You mean, corruption is inevitable? My electric energy use was so small before, it hardly
mattered to the PoCo. Now I help the PoCo level their load and give them free KWH every
year, just depends on the rules. I do not favor buying and selling KWH, just trading works
well. Running at over 100% electric and heating usage, has allowed being completely
disconnected from a supplier (with all those extra fees) most of my neighbors use (gas).
Bruce Roe

[jflorey2]

My electric energy use was so small before, it hardly
mattered to the PoCo. Now I help the PoCo level their load and give them free KWH every
year

But you also help increase the ramp rate they see at 6pm, and they have to buy more stuff to deal with that. That money has to come from somewhere. It sort of makes sense to get it from the people who most contribute to that problem, although there are better ways to do it than a flat rate increase.

(BTW want to help out the grid and get paid for it? There are several demand-response companies that actually pay you to shed load when loads are high. OhmConnect is one example, there are many others.)

[ButchDeal]

But you also help increase the ramp rate they see at 6pm, and they have to buy more stuff to deal with that. That money has to come from somewhere. It sort of makes sense to get it from the people who most contribute to that problem, although there are better ways to do it than a flat rate increase.

(BTW want to help out the grid and get paid for it? There are several demand-response companies that actually pay you to shed load when loads are high. OhmConnect is one example, there are many others.)

A West facing array is going to help reduce that ramp at 6PM by continuing to produce for a while longer....
People with very flat production curves and EAST/WEST arrays help the most ...

[jflorey2]

A West facing array is going to help reduce that ramp at 6PM by continuing to produce for a while longer....
People with very flat production curves and EAST/WEST arrays help the most ...

Agreed. Thus, a better billing system that rewards that sort of production (like real time pricing) would help there. The utility would get what it wants (more power during peak loading times) and homeowners could plan systems that provide a better return on investment.

[Ampster]

.......Maintaining the grid and backup generation capacity is not free. For this reason it is best to hedge your energy purchases by keeping solar capacity to 70-75%of your usage.

I would love to see the numbers you use to back up that statement. I am hedging by investing in a hybrid inverter and at a later date more batteries to consume more of what I produce.

[Ampster]

But you also help increase the ramp rate they see at 6pm, and they have to buy more stuff to deal with that. That money has to come from somewhere. It sort of makes sense to get it from the people who most contribute to that problem, although there are better ways to do it than a flat rate increase.

(BTW want to help out the grid and get paid for it? There are several demand-response companies that actually pay you to shed load when loads are high. OhmConnect is one example, there are many others.)

More stuff? They have to buy expensive peaker generation but I dont know if they have to increase their infrastructure.
I do agree there is a better way to recoup costs than a fixed fee.

[khanh dam]

So is going totally off grid a smart economic move now that you will likely have to pay $38x12 months = $456 a year in minimum fees? batteries are still very expensive so ROI would take a many years and by that time the batteries would need to be replaced. ouch. sounds like breaking even at best.

[Ampster]

So is going totally off grid a smart economic move now that you will likely have to pay $38x12 months = $456 a year in minimum fees? batteries are still very expensive so ROI would take a many years and by that time the batteries would need to be replaced. ouch. sounds like breaking even at best.

I have a few years to think about that. Actually, going "off grid" is not an option for me and most people because the code requires a grid connection if one is available. Using less power may be an option that will have to be weighed against the cost of more batteries.
I would gladly pay $500 per year for a supplier that would let me use the grid as a battery and pay me to put load on or take load off the grid. I have a lot of flexibility for most of my loads and hopefully my hybrid inverter can be programmed to respond to those price signals.

[jflorey2]

More stuff? They have to buy expensive peaker generation but I dont know if they have to increase their infrastructure.

As solar generation increases they have to swap out their current SCADA systems to systems that can handle bidirectional current flow. As peak generation increases (solar peaks at noon) they will need higher current transmission lines. As DER's with tight trip tolerances (i.e. non-Rule 21) proliferate they will need more frequency/voltage support to prevent cascading failures due to loss of generation.

[Mike90250]

More stuff? They have to buy expensive peaker generation but I dont know if they have to increase their infrastructure.
I do agree there is a better way to recoup costs than a fixed fee.

When all the EV's hit the road and need recharging, the infrastructure has to carry that load.

[Ampster]

When all the EV's hit the road and need recharging, the infrastructure has to carry that load.

That is a classic argument that the anti EV people use against EVs.
Actually it is when they get off the road and begin charging that the grid sees their load. Currently most EV TOU rates favor charging from 11pm to early am when there is plenty of capacity. In the future as solar proliferates we may see cheap rates at Noon to put load on the grid and soak up all that solar that is currently being curtailed. If the solar generation and EV charging are evenly distributed around the state there should not be any need for additional transmission and perhaps not much change in distribution lines.