New PG&E system to pay for electric power to take effect by 2018

New ways devised to get into our pockets, how quaint. When will the CPUC realize that the P in the acronym is for PUBLIC and quit looking for ways to move scarce funds from our pockets to PG&E's coffers?!  I call "foul".  The law was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission 1/10/14. (Jim Wagner) 

You'll appreciate our strategy.
You are becoming more "green",
because we are raising your time-of-usage rates, win, win!

San Francisco Chronicle/David R. Baker, 1/10/14.  "Sweeping changes sought for electricity bills."

Our public relations campaign is beautiful

.... "California energy regulators have proposed a set of sweeping changes to the way most of the state's residents pay for power. The current system, in which electricity prices are based on the amount used, would be fundamentally altered by 2018, under the proposal issued this week by the California Public Utilities Commission.

Standard residential rates would vary by time of use, encouraging Californians to conserve during afternoons when demand on the state's power grid hits its peak. State officials and energy economists have long pursued the idea, seeing it as a way to avoid building more power plants. 

 ....  Increases for most users. In addition, the state's big utility companies would either add a fixed, monthly charge to residential bills or set a minimum bill level, spreading out the costs of paying for the grid. Taken together, the proposed changes would raise bills for most residential utility customers.

Solar is eating our lunch

A typical Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customer using 600 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month currently pays $75.05, according to the utilities commission. If that customer doesn't change her energy-use habits, switching to "time-of-use" rates would boost her bill by 16 percent, to $87.43. The commission estimates that choosing the revised flat rates instead would raise the customer's bill to $85.04, a 13 percent increase.  Homeowners with the highest current bills, in contrast, would pay less under the new system."   Read article.

We know you would not want more of these

Related -  BOMA San Francisco  government affairs and industry news for commercial real estate professionals. "PG&E general rate case application covering years 2014 through 2016", by Ken Cleaveland and John Bozeman, 6/17/13.  "PG&E requested 6.4% increase in bundled average electric rates (6.0% for Large Commercial: E19 & E20) and 11.7% (Small Commercial: GNR1) and 5.7% (Large Commercial: GNR2) increase in small and large average gas rates. The actual distribution of the increase to each customer class depends on how the CPUC ultimately decides all issues in the GRC, as well as in a separate electric rate design proceeding filed in the first quarter of 2013.  PG&E expects the commission to issue a decision on PG&E’s request in December 2013 at the earliest." 

Note photographs.  Logo from BOMA related article.  PG&E president, Chris Johns (2010) from ABC local 7.  Solar from  Nouveau Corporation.  Nuclear plant from  Leslie Brodie blog.

Submitted by Jim Wagner

Posted by Kathy Meeh