Fresno Bee letters: Changing the rules for residential solar power is a bad idea

Changing solar rules bad idea

The California Public Utilities Commission wants to allow investor-owned utility companies like PG&E to raise the utility rates for rooftop solar customers. PG&E would cut in half the credit that it pays to owners of rooftop solar and add on a $40 a month “grid participation charge” to connect to the power grid. Here’s what’s wrong about the PUC’s proposal:

1. It is based on pitting homeowners of rooftop solar against other utility ratepayers by allowing PG&E to charge higher rates to non-solar customers in order to continue to favor profits for shareholders and highly paid executives.

2. It puts rooftop solar out of reach for working and middle-class families by lengthening the years it takes to recoup the average cost of $20,000 for solar installation.

3. It is based on the false assumption that the current credits to solar customers go only to wealthy ratepayers, when 42% of installations in California were to households with less than $100,000 in annual income.

4. Perhaps most importantly, by making rooftop solar more costly, it would “cripple California’s ability to meet a legislative mandate to eliminate carbon from the electricity grid by 2045” to fight climate change, according to solar advocates.

Voting rights vis a vis fillibuster

Carve-outs for the filibuster have been used twice recently. At every Tuesday Democratic Party luncheon, Sens. Feinstein and Padilla should bring up the idea of using carve-outs to pass the Freedom to Vote Act John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

We know that the filibuster is only a rule, not a law, and, unfortunately, the parliamentarian is out because of cancer. The filibuster could and should go, but this is such important moment in history where a coup has been attempted and our voting rights are threatened without federal action now.

Democrats in the Senate must make those carve-outs and whatever they need to do to protect all of our voting rights. They can protect millions of Americans and generations to come by passing these two major voting acts.

Rule one: never dive by yourself

As I read Thaddeus Miller’s story on the diving death at Millerton Lake, I kept waiting for a statement of what should have been the most important lesson from this tragedy: never dive alone! Sadly, it never came.

It was something that all scuba divers should have received on day one of their training: never dive alone! As Miller described the skills and qualifications of the victim, Melvin Helm, as a neurologist and as a diver, never once was what should have been the headline of the story stated: never dive alone!

Appreciating the support on climate

We thank congressman Jim Costa for his votes to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Build Back Better Act.

Both bills have important provisions that will help America reach our 2030 and 2050 targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The IIAJ, which is bipartisan, includes monies for electric vehicle charging stations, zero emission buses, and cleaning up old oil and gas wells. It adds protections against climate-related disasters, such as wildfires.

It allocates $12 billion for “intercity rail service, including high-speed rail.” Although California’s HSR is not earmarked, Costa is working to secure our share. HSR will bring jobs to our area. Once it gets built, HSR will significantly reduce emissions. This has been a Costa priority for many years.

The House version of the BBBA, passed by Democrats only, has many climate provisions. It has incentives for clean power plants, carbon capture, electric vehicles, rebuilding the electric grid, nuclear power, getting rid of methane leaks, and more. The Senate might even add a carbon fee and dividend, which is strongly favored by economists.

Redistricting lines thoughtfully done

The normally astute Marek Warszawski misses the mark in advocating for Clovis and Fresno to be combined into a single congressional district. He laments the north-south divide in Fresno yet puts forward a scenario that would exacerbate that divide — and disastrously so.

Given historical electoral trends, the representative of a Clovis-Fresno district would likely hail from north Fresno or Clovis (think Andreas Borgeas or Nathan Magsig). That is, people who travel south of Shaw Avenue only to file for elective office, to visit the airport with the intent of leaving the city or en route to Southern California. Addressing the needs of south Fresno would not be a priority.

Fortunately, the community-driven advocacy to the Citizens Redistricting Commission prevailed and we now have districts throughout the Central Valley that create the opportunity for representation that is reflective of our diverse communities and attentive to their needs.

Use nuke power to create water

In response to utilizing abundance of budget funds to fix our aqueduct system, the following will fix most of our issues: Build nuclear power plants in Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco and so forth.

Then build desalination plants next to the nuclear power plants to supply all the big cities with water.

Next use the aqueduct to provide water for farmers in the Central Valley. Then everybody who drives to work and parks a car is to utilize an electric car to work. All parking lots within 20 years to only be utilized for 85% electric cars. All homes to have solar panels and batteries to power electric cars for work. Comercial and heavy equipment will be exempt. It can be done, get it done.

People, just put on a face mask

What has happened to civility and the respect for and consideration of our fellow citizens? COVID is a virus that attacks all regardless of their ethnicity, race, party or political persuasion. It is contagious and in some cases deadly. We have created ways to lessen, evade and treat COVID’s effects, the least of which is wearing masks.

While masks are certainly not a foolproof devices, they do mitigate the transmission of the virus, are cheap and take no effort to use. California, due to the rapid spread of omicron, has mandated mask wearing inside. So why are we not following these guidelines?

We have to wear seat belts, helmets, and earn driver’s licenses, to mention a few of the regulations we must follow. Are we so divided in the United States that we cannot think beyond what we consider our individual “rights”? And when did these individual right supersede the rights of the group?

I have lived in Fresno for many years, but am dismayed at the behavior of people who, for some reason, put themselves above all others. All I ask is – wear a mask. The life you save may be someone you love or care about.

This story was originally published January 9, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Fresno Bee letters: Changing the rules for residential solar power is a bad idea."