Wednesday, February 10, 2016

California Preserves Net Energy Metering

Here http://action.citizen.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=13113

This is a win. Many in California had to fight to preserve this program. People with solar on their rooftops are doing the right thing, and need not be penalized.
Some fee were added, but the fair pay back for juice your panels produce that you don't use that goes back to the grid for others to use (net energy metering) has been preserved.
Shame that so many had to,work so hard on this when it should be a permanent, evergreen policy fixture and we could be working on other clean improvements on California's energy use and grid.
Still a victory, largely, so time to post and enjoy the victory!

Inside the decision here

The decision "...prohibits “demand charges, grid access charges, installed capacity fees, standby fees, or similar fixed charges on NEM residential customers”

Additionally, the CPUC decision,
  • allows for a minimum bill, a “reasonable” interconnection fee, and specifies certain nonbypassable charges (NBCs) for NEM customers;
  • determines that time of use (TOU) rates will be mandatory for new NEM customers;
  • preserves retail rate credit for existing NEM customers for 20 years after their interconnection;
  • allows solar arrays larger than 1 MW to earn NEM credits if owners cover interconnection costs;
  • requires utilities to make solar available to residents of multi-tenant buildings through virtual net metering (VNM) and net metering aggregation (NEMA).

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Sunset, Venice 12/20/2012

Sunset, Venice 12/20/2012
I've been thinking some about the Winter Solstice, the Mayan end of the 30,000-year-cycle on 12/21/12.

What if in fact the world did end? Even though this probably will not happen, to live consciously it is honest for us to take a bit of an inventory.

Am I happy with how I've lived my life? (Yesterday, I thought mostly yes, with some areas for improvement, as below.) Are there changes I would make?
Would I have tried to forgive those that were hostile or disappointing to me?
Would I spend more time with those I loved the most, telling them that, feeling that more?
Would I be happier, grateful for what I have, what I've experienced, the joy, the beauty in this world?

Maybe the answer is yes to all of the above.
So this time can serve as a point of rebirth for all of us. If we think about it.

Because somewhere along the line I realized I think maybe mankind deserves it. !
The way we are killing each other, killing the planet.
How selfish we are, and snotty to those around us. Petty, competitive. Why is this? Do we have to behave this way? (I say no, it greatly detracts and misdirects energy from the full-time celebration in which we could engage, the great multi-cultural, multi-rhythmic dance we can sustain here.)

Maybe God or the Great Universe is fed up, and will pull the rug out from under us.
Don't think I can say we could blame Him/Her/It.

But it probably won't happen. (Probably not! This time.)

Still we are finite on this ride.

It is a time to think, am I happy with how I've lived my life?
Hopefully most of us can say yes.

For the part of us that have a little worry, a little sadness....
This is the time to be present.
This is the time to be the person you want to be, that can die at peace, that can hope to every day be able to look yourself and the Universe in the eye and say, how beautiful, smiling, and thank you. Let's do that.

Antidotes to Violence, a.k.a., Take Charge of Where Your Head's At - here

Tell Congress to Strengthen Gun Control Laws NOW - here

Good News & Brain Food News -
Christians & Muslims Gather, for Peace here
Good News - Top RIO+20 Summit Posts here
The 'Busy' Trap - NYTimes.com
here