For the Public, Solar Plan Is Common Sense

Regarding “Governor’s Solar Plan Is Generating Opposition,” June 27:

In addition to the obvious environmental upsides, the 1-million-solar-rooftop idea benefits California’s consumers. Passage of the bill means fewer new power plants for which ratepayers will have to foot the bill. It means less dependence on natural gas, a fuel prone to price spikes. It means that energy companies have one fewer place to manipulate the market.

Alas, the utilities and home builders fail to examine and consider these benefits, but the public gets it, and hopefully our elected officials will too.

Steve Blackledge

Legislative Director

California Public Interest

Research Group

Sacramento

*

With subsidies, a homeowner who installs solar cells breaks even.

By reducing the rate of increase of fuel usage and increasing the rate of solar cell installations, thereby lowering the cost to future buyers, the subsidy is an investment in lower future energy rates.

That is a reasonable justification for the higher utility rates needed to pay the subsidy. It may not make economic sense today when comparing today’s costs of energy, but it does when inevitable future rate increases are considered.

Once the solar cells are installed, the cost of energy produced is fixed, unlike future utility rates. Further, solar cells contribute at midday, which is a high-load time.

Jim Ketcham

Malibu