Who Pays for Solar?

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We wrote before about an upcoming study from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to determine the overall cost-benefit of installing solar.* Well in advance of that study, the investor-owned utilities (IOUs) in California are coming out swinging, with populist rhetoric about solar’s unfair impact.* But just because a utility says something, doesn’t make it The post Who Pays for Solar? appeared first on Solar Feeds.

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westbranch

Re: Who Pays for Solar?

from the article
"Make no mistake, the IoUs are coming after net metering because it is beginning to affect their bottom line ..."

BB.

Re: Who Pays for Solar?

Yep, the people that cannot pay for solar (or have no where to install)--Are paying the subsidies to the people who install solar on their (typically) homes and industrial buildings (and local government entities).

A poor person renting will not have much of chance here--and will be subsidizing the solar folks. Of course, we have subsidies for the poor too... So, it is only the middle income folks that cannot avoid the wealth transfer here.

-Bill

vtmaps

Re: Who Pays for Solar?

Subsidies are impossible to avoid. People who walk or bicycle along the road are being subsidized by those who drive on the road (because gasoline tax pays to keep up the road). --vtMaps

ggunn

Re: Who Pays for Solar?

BB. wrote: »

Yep, the people that cannot pay for solar (or have no where to install)--Are paying the subsidies to the people who install solar on their (typically) homes and industrial buildings (and local government entities).

A poor person renting will not have much of chance here--and will be subsidizing the solar folks. Of course, we have subsidies for the poor too... So, it is only the middle income folks that cannot avoid the wealth transfer here.

-Bill

And the problem is...? Everyone's taxes (etc.) fund things they may not agree with or reap any benefits from. If you don't have any kids your property taxes are paying for someone else's kid's education.

The solar incentive program in Austin costs the average rate payer about $10-$15 a year. Don't sweat the small stuff.

Rick1

Re: Who Pays for Solar?

ggunn wrote: »

And the problem is...? Everyone's taxes (etc.) fund things they may not agree with or reap any benefits from. If you don't have any kids your property taxes are paying for someone else's kid's education.

The solar incentive program in Austin costs the average rate payer about $10-$15 a year. Don't sweat the small stuff.

I pay over $2000.00 per year to the local school district and I have no children. If I can pay for someone else's kids education they can help pay my solar subsidy. Life is not fair and never has been.

solarix

Re: Who Pays for Solar?

The principle justifying taxes is that if it must be in the "public interest". If something is of benefit to the public as a whole then a tax to support it is justifiable. It is in the interest of society to educate the next generation, whether they are your kids or not. (ever been to a country where they don't have schools? - pretty low standard of living that's for sure).
Energy is very important as well and it is in the public interest to develop new forms of supply. If we just depended on a free market, nothing much would happen until solar power became cheaper than coal power, and the natural transition to the new power would be really chaotic and disruptive. Better to encourage the development of better forms of energy in advance. Besides, all forms of energy are presently subsidized anyway.
That being said, I would have to remark that most of the socialistic programs and defense spending we have are not in the best interest of society. Everybody wants their special interest funded, not too many think about the public interest.