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from the defeating-lobbyists-for-non-renewable-energy dept.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports
Gov. Brian Sandoval said [June 5] he intends to sign a bill that supporters expect will bring the rooftop solar industry back to Nevada.
During a ceremony to sign the major bills implementing the two-year, $8.2 billion general fund budget, Sandoval said he will be signing Assembly Bill 405, a bill making it worthwhile for homeowners to invest in rooftop solar and participate in net metering. Net metering is where people with rooftop systems get a credit for the excess energy they return to the grid.
[...] The passage of AB405 has been praised by the solar industry.
A statement from Tesla said the bill will not only bring back solar energy to Nevada and enable the industry to innovate and grow sustainably, it will create thousands of jobs and bring millions of dollars in economic benefits to the state.
"Tesla will begin selling rooftop solar and residential storage products in Nevada, and we look forward to bringing even more jobs to the state in the years ahead to help provide residents with affordable rooftop solar and energy storage choices", the statement said.
GlobeNewswire adds Sunrun Announces Plans to Re-Enter Nevada Solar Market
"The near unanimous bipartisan support for legislation to reinstate net metering and establish a bill of rights for solar customers is a reflection of overwhelming public demand for affordable, clean energy options", said Lynn Jurich, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Sunrun. "Thanks to the hard work of Governor Sandoval and Nevada State Legislators, we can now say with confidence that Sunrun is coming back to Nevada."
Nevada's solar industry came to a halt in late 2015 when new rules limited the credit rooftop solar customers would receive for the clean energy they provide to the grid. The abrupt shift in regulations forced Sunrun to cease operations in the state, leading to the elimination of hundreds of local jobs.
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Nevada Regulators Reject Request to Halt New Rooftop Solar Rules
(Score: 4, Interesting) by edIII on Thursday June 08 2017, @11:50PM (4 children)
Good. They're run like fucking crap. In California, those fucking cocksuckers at PG&E get over $35 million dollars per year in top level executive salaries. Anytime I see bullshit like that, they're fucking solvent and cannot bitch and complain about having no money. The answer should always be, "Well, let's take $1 million from the CEO". Rightfully so, that fucker was responsible for deaths in a gas explosion, it's a huge problem with servicing old pipelines, and they were fined nearly a half a billion fucking dollars. That TAXPAYERS pay for, not him. Bastard still got paid for what is objectively piss poor performance bordering on criminal negligence.
I agree with paying for the grid, but that can be charged separately from usage, and should. Who cares if somebody is getting paid for having solar on their roof. That means that residential is largely powering itself, and the excess can now be used for business. Subsidized power for residential areas is a damned good thing. By subsidized, I don't mean taxes, but solar subsidies where the Sun itself is giving them the money.
If I'm producing power and selling it on the grid, then fuck them. I get fucking paid too.
That whole industry needs to get shaken up, and shaken up badly. At this point I say just socialize the whole grid (not privatize) and tax everyone who connects to it, the utility companies as well. Then the infrastructure is paid for, and we have an energy market where residential areas can sell their power.
In the end that is the real issue. Normal average people able to profit in the energy markets. Can't fucking have that now can we?
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by NewNic on Thursday June 08 2017, @11:56PM (3 children)
It's also important to recognize that solar panels on someone's house, while they are producing a surplus, are also powering the neighbors' houses, reducing the load on the grid.
Here in PG&E territory, we have a monthly minimum charge of about $10/month for grid connection. It's a minimum, so in winter it gets rolled into the usage charges.
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
(Score: 2) by edIII on Friday June 09 2017, @12:25AM (2 children)
Excellent point. That's such a good thing to have the load on the grid reduced, that I have no idea why Nevada is fighting it. In Nevada, air condition is life. Period. During the summer in some places it can get to near 120. Neighborhoods simmer at 100-114. So much concrete and asphalt, that heat is retained that bleeds out during the night to the extent there is no relief at all. That's what I love about Northern California. I can be hot during the day, but will cool off at night. In Las Vegas, you need to have A/C on at 1am during the really hot times. They've been pushing discounts very, very hard for anyone willing to install a thermostat that can be controlled by them. Which allows them to raise it to 79-84 in your house, or possibly up to 90. If that doesn't indicate load problems, I dunno what does.
The minimum connection charge is very reasonable too and solves their primary complaint, while allowing home owners to realize ROI on their investment. Not to mention all of the good things that happen to the environment since we have clean energy entering the grid. It's a win-win-win-win-win for everyone except the shareholders and executives of the monopolies we have now apparently. Right now the greedy bastards just want free clean energy to sell on the market themselves, which is why I claim the primary motivation against the net metering is avarice. It's about who gets to make the money.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Friday June 09 2017, @01:22AM
Well read the story and links there in.
The utilities (some of which are state agencies) were seeking to raise the interconnect so high and pay nothing for surplus roof top power. Some of that was justified and some of it wasn't. The state got in a pissing match with itself and for a while the utility side carried the day.
That's over now. The utilities are horked in Nevada in a lot of different ways. Vegas is two arrow shots and a tomahak throw from Hoover dam, and it only last December started getting its power [popularmechanics.com] from there.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 09 2017, @01:33AM
I made sure to include that in the dept. line.
(The incumbents don't like to lose even the appearance of total control.)
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]