Solar owner vs. big utility

To the Editor:

Residential solar owners take note: the big utilities in California are working hard to eliminate your “net metering” credit, making solar nearly twice as expensive as it is today.

Net metering is when excess electricity you have sent to the grid is credited to you at fair market value. Currently, in California, you are credited at only 2.5 to 3 cents per kwh instead of the fair market price, which is much higher. The utilities then sell your power to others at up to 52 cents per kwh under their “time of use” rates during peak times.

The utilities did not pay to generate that power, they simply moved it through their system. Multiply that across the millions of systems, and this is a huge windfall to our state's utility companies. They don't need to build new generation; millions of solar owners are building it for them, and now the utilities want a bigger take after getting everyone forced into solar by economic forces.

The utility lobby says they cannot maintain their infrastructure with net metering as is. Ridiculous! I have paid for the generating system, not the utility company. But they reap the benefits of my excess electricity that is resold at a substantial profit to others. If anyone is being subsidized it is PG&E, Edison, and SDG&E.

Right now, the utility lobbyists are working behind the scenes trying to eliminate net metering with the California Public Utilities Commission. If there was ever a case of the wolf watching the henhouse, this is it.

If you want to protect your investment, net metering, and current connection fee, contact your legislators and the CPUC. Demand they protect residential rooftop solar owners.

Barry Rudolph

Columbia