this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2024
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Every smart person told them, "update the grids before adding solar."
But did they listen? No. Because updating the grids was an expensive and difficult endeavour and they just wanted to lower their costs first.
Personally, I said fuck the grid and built my own solar power without it. I have separate grid power too.
Obama tried to push grid upgrades for years, kept getting shot down. His plans would all be done by now. Throw in the fuel economy requirements of 54.5 mpg requirements for cars and light trucks and we would have seen billions of barrels of oil not being needed. (Lower gas prices as well). Granted it wasn't everything, but it was what we needed to start doing. Now 13, 14 years later after Trump rolled back those fuel efficiency policies as much as he could because it cost manufacturers more money in research, we are much closer to a rock we can't live on and haven't advanced nearly enough. So we voted in Drill Baby Drill to finish off the rock.
Oh no they did that research. The manufacturers complained because the US was the last great dumping ground for old inefficient engines. They put those highly efficient engines in European cars and used the US to empty their warehouses of old engines.
Which is so odd to me, because electricity just a couple states over is about 1/3 the cost vs CA. I pay $0.12/kWh in UT, whereas CA pays more like $0.32/kWh.
If we look at solar generation, we're doing pretty well here in Utah vs other states in the US (source). Taking a rough average of that data, here's what the numbers look like:
I just don't understand why California electricity prices are so high. It's not like they're generating a ton more than other states in the area or anything.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding the figures, but the source I quoted didn't say anything about per-capita production, so I think it's total for the state.
California's energy regulator is fully captured by the private companies that "operate" the actual grid companies. Every time someone brings up prices the regulatory board agrees to raise them and let the owners walk away with the extra profit.
And from my understanding, after PG&E was held liable for their electrical lines causing deadly wildfires, they jacked the rates up even higher to cover the settlement costs.
Yup
Our energy provider is private too, though they need to ask the legislature to approve a rate hike.
California rates are high because everyone has to pay for forest fires. Everyone except shareholders.
the math aint mathing
What's not mathing?
I pulled population numbers from Wikipedia, so:
I rounded a little here and there, but that shouldn't change the numbers too significantly.
I paid $0.52/kWh in California before I moved out of state
Even more with fees tacked on.
Wow, that's nuts. After all fees, I'm around $0.12-0.13/kWh, and it seems we generate a similar amount of solar.
Sometimes the best way to get things done is to wedge your way in and cause a problem. It sucks, but humans be humaning