Californians could buy plug-in solar, pay less for PG&E under new bill

Renters may be able to significantly lower their monthly energy bills under a new piece of legislation that could let Californians power homes on their own with an abundant resource: solar.

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Senate Bill 868, introduced by state Sen. Scott Wiener, would allow consumers to buy solar panels at no extra cost to their utility, and it would also allow large retailers or your local hardware store to sell plug-in solar panels to power your home on your own — and ideally reduce your monthly utility bills. The idea was inspired by a bill passed in Utah last year, and plug-in solar is also popularly used in Europe.

The bill passed a critical juncture last week in the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee with zero opposition. It is now headed to the Appropriations Committee in August, where the bill’s fate will be decided before heading to a final vote and then to the governor’s desk for signature.

Right now, California homes are powered by three main providers: PG&E, which serves Central and Northern California; Southern California Edison, which powers parts of the Central Coast, Central California and Southern California; and San Diego Gas & Electric, which serves San Diego County and the surrounding area. 

Utility prices remain a major grievance for homeworkers and renters. There has been discussion recently about breaking apart the utilities, specifically the PG&E monopoly, to allow other utility providers to come into the state. This was a major idea brought forward by Democrats, including gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer, but it is also something current Republican candidate Steve Hilton has promoted. U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna has also suggested the breakup, along with other lawmakers across the state. It’s also been a fracture point with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who hasn’t supported the idea.

Bernadette Del Chiaro, the senior vice president of the Environmental Working Group, a consumer-oriented environmental group that focuses on green energy and is a main sponsor of the bill, said that it would put power, literally, in the consumers’ hands.

“The whole idea of balcony solar is to walk into Cosco, IKEA, and you can buy this device in a cardboard box, stick it in a cart, bring it home, set it up, plug it in. That’s the whole idea,” she said in a phone interview with SFGATE. She added that “consumers are going to have more money in their pocket,” which could add up to $20 of savings per month.

Right now, the pricing on solar panels is high, Del Chiaro said. The smaller panels cost around $500 and are the size of a small coffee table. They’d be able to produce enough energy to power your refrigerator, a little desktop computer and your modem and Wi-Fi box, she said. The larger panels, which are around the size of a desk, can cost up to $2,500 and can power more, including air conditioners. 

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“But this is a beta market right now in the U.S.,” she said, adding that once the bill passes, more panels will be made, and prices will decrease. “We know from our experience … that in a few short years, companies will get economies of scale.”

Del Chiaro said PG&E has loosened its opposition since the start of the year but that the company has still requested to remain the middleman in the process. She said that the company has cautioned there is a potential safety hazard, but she said that the panels will already go through a safety certification process and that PG&E involvement would be unnecessary. Requiring tenants to ask PG&E for permission to plug in solar panels is “a crazy idea,” said Laura Deehan, the state director for Environment California, which is another supporter of the bill.

Paul Doherty, a spokesperson for PG&E, told SFGATE in an email that the company supports “expanding access to clean energy,” which includes “emerging options” such as plug-in solar systems. Doherty said they have worked with Wiener on amending certain aspects of the bill to reinforce safety protocols and align with electric codes.

“Our top priority is protecting customers, communities, and the crews who work on the grid every day,” Doherty said.