Californians could save $1.4 billion a year on utilities, SolarCity says
Solar energy provider SolarCity released a report early this month detailing how making changes to the electricity grid in California could yield $1.4 billion a year.
In the report, SolarCity proposed that instead of building more power lines, substations and other parts of the electric grid, the state should instead focus on localized electricity generation, such as rooftop solar and battery storage.
This, SolarCity argued, could help shift utilities away from the old mentality of “build more, profit more.”
Revamping the electric grid could yield huge cost savings, SolarCity report says https://t.co/uQK31Z3msM
— L.A. Times Biz News (@latimesbiz) February 4, 2016
Utility companies battling rooftop solar advocates
California utilities have been battling energy consumers for some time on multiple fronts. Back in December, California regulators rejected a proposal by state utility companies that would have raised fees and costs for new solar customers. And more recently, California’s Public Utilities Commission upheld a net metering policy that benefits homeowners with solar panels.
Mix these recent politically-charged events in with the energy complications due to the recent drought in the state, and it’s easy to see that California’s energy policies could be due for a deeper look.
California leads the way in solar
According to The Open PV Project, California leads the nation in number of solar PV systems installed with 291,515 (as of 2/11/16). Those numbers are leaps and bounds above the next closest state, Arizona, which boasted 49,498 installs (as of 2/11/16).
With those numbers in mind, it’s hard to argue that California needs to focus more on solar itself. Now, the argument is shifting to how to best optimize the grid for the future.
Orginally published on → Solar Energy Local
