Tyler Gamble, APR’s Post

⚡️ Is California’s new fixed utility charge a double-edged sword? Two years ago, California passed a complex energy bill that reshaped how residents are billed. Proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom, it allows a fixed monthly charge in exchange for lower per kilowatt hour rates. Utilities like PG&E, SoCal Edison, and @SDG&E backed this, saying it would promote vehicle and appliance electrification while fairly spreading fixed costs among customers. Critics however... they see it differently. They argue it’s a financial gift to utilities, unfairly burdening small households while benefiting high-energy users. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has proposed a $24 monthly charge, adjusted based on income. While the CPUC believes this will make going electric more affordable, opponents say it punishes conservation efforts. Well, why should you care? California’s new fixed utility charge could affect fleet costs for businesses using or planning to switch to electric vehicles. If you rely on electric trucks, be prepared for potential cost fluctuations that could impact your bottom line. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gdBwtUqs #energyreform #electricvehicles #fleetmanagement

The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a new income-graduated fixed charge for the state’s investor-owned electric utilities. The move significantly changes the structure of customer bills, with an aim to encourage electrification and take strain off low-income customers struggling with high energy prices. The new billing structure was mandated by Assembly Bill 205, passed by California lawmakers in 2022. The fixed charge will begin showing up on San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison bills in late 2025, and for Pacific Gas & Electric customers in early 2026. Regulators expect the change to reduce residential electricity rates by 5 to 7 cents/kWh. The change has been controversial, with opponents of the fixed charge calling it a “tax” that will further enrich power companies. Regulators on Thursday pushed back on that narrative. “This change simply reallocates how existing costs are divvied up in bills — it does not introduce new costs or fees,” CPUC President Alice Reynolds said at the commission’s open meeting. https://lnkd.in/gcx8_2Ns

The Public Utilities Commission is confirming what many of us have warned of for years. Large scale utility side upgrades can take up to a decade (or more) to build out and the demands on the system are only growing. All of this is happening at a time when the political will to pay for 10's of billions of dollars of upgrades has eroded. It's simply outdated thinking to talk about commercial EV deployment timelines without acknowledging these very, very real constraints. https://lnkd.in/eGyyHxpq

Via Utility Dive: " Federal lawmakers urge FERC to adopt ‘shared savings’ incentive for grid-enhancing technologies: The push at the federal level comes as grid-enhancing technology bills and projects to relieve grid congestion advance in Minnesota. " #Energy #Utility #Utilities

As usual, Jeff St. John takes a complicated issue and explains it well! Our electric grid desperately needs to see #VPP's grow -- and for that to happen we need the kind of broad acceptance and standardization outlined in this draft legislation. Also great (and not surprising) to see my friend Mark Duda leading on this important issue! https://lnkd.in/gnuvQ3KZ

“With little debate two years ago, state lawmakers passed a complex energy bill that enabled a sweeping change in how most Californians are billed for electricity. The legislation was what Pacific Gas & Electric had asked for from the state public utilities commission three months before: a transformation of electric rates so that households would pay a fixed charge each month in exchange for lower rates for each kilowatt hour they Gov. Gavin Newsom submitted the bill as part of a massive 2022 budget revision. In four days, it was passed out of an Assembly committee hearing without discussion, approved by the full Assembly and Senate and signed by Newsom. “ #flatrate #california #electricity #one_party_politics #steamrolled #utilities #no_debate #regressive #no_incentive_to_conserve #poor_subsidize_rich #government_failure #energy_bill

On Oct. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- the Retail Energy AdvancementLeague (REAL) filed a lawsuit challenging the recently enacted Senate Bill 1 (SB1), which restrains retail energy companies from truthfully marketing their clean energy products to residential customers in Maryland, in violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Maryland state law. Read more about it here. #Maryland #deregulated #residentialenergy #energy

Have concerns about the impact of more all-electric homes on California’s electrical grid? Check out #CalEnergy Commissioner J. Andrew McAllister discussing how California is transforming its energy infrastructure to support an all-electric future! To support this electrifying transition, the California Energy Commission has funded incentives and bonuses through California Electric Homes (CalEHP) to reduce costs for your all-electric residential new construction projects. Reach out to learn more about CalEHP incentives today! https://lnkd.in/e4tDSxry #AllElectric #SmartGrid #EnergyEfficiency #Incentives 

Do state and federal energy policies match the realities of supply and demand? Check out this great RealClear article by Michael Toth, a Founding Partner at PNT Law Firm, about the disconnect and whether federal courts, instead of lawmakers and stakeholders, should figure out how to best meet America’s constantly increasing energy consumption demands. David Austin R. Nimocks Chris Peele

The Electric Utility Industry or How many legislators does it take to screw in a light bulb?" John will cover the history of the electric utility industry from its inception to the present day, to talk about the challenges the industry currently faces and the ones that are on the horizon, and to briefly review how the industry in California is faring in its efforts to provide clean, affordable and reliable energy.