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Falling panel prices lead to global solar boom, except for the US

(arstechnica.com)
249 points Jtsummers | 2 comments | 30 Oct 25 16:32 UTC | HN request time: 0.451s | source
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reenorap ◴[30 Oct 25 17:44 UTC] No.45762822[source]▶
PG&E's most transparent fraud is by forcing people to move everything to electricity and then forcing them to use less electricity, and then complaining they aren't making enough money so that they raise electricity rates. Last year, PG&E raised rates 6 times. I'm now paying double the per kWh rates from only 4 years ago.

PG&E now wants to charge solar panel owners $100+/month just for the privilege of being connected to the grid. This is on top of their $0.41-54/kWh they already charge, the highest in the nation.

PG&E is a government-supported scam that is charging people whatever prices they want with no protection from our politicians because they are all on the take.

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jeffbee ◴[30 Oct 25 17:48 UTC] No.45762871[source]▶
PG&E should be expropriated by the state, but your 2nd point is just homeowner propaganda. NEM account holders really are free-riding on the grid in a way that is deeply unfair to the rest of PG&E ratepayers.
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BriggyDwiggs42 ◴[30 Oct 25 18:00 UTC] No.45763016[source]▶
Why so?
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1. bell-cot ◴[30 Oct 25 18:17 UTC] No.45763245[source]▶
I'm not familiar with Cali's NEM scheme...but does it work like this?

- Electric utility must make up to _forward_maximum_kW of electrical energy available to customer, 24x7, at _rate

- Customer may force electrical utility to accept up to _reverse_maximum_kW - without notice, at his sole discretion, and without regard for electrical utility's needs or wishes, at _rate

If so, just talk to any sane businessman about the viability of being stuck on the utility's end of such a deal.

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2. jeffbee ◴[30 Oct 25 18:23 UTC] No.45763332[source]▶
Yeah that pretty much describes NEM 2.0