[microdrum]

Now, PGE will pay you unreasonably low prices when you sell power back to them. So much so that installing solar may not make sense. You will still buy from them at $0.30/kw, or even more during peak.

Additionally you will pay to PG&E $8 per kW of solar you've installed (and personally financed) PER MONTH, and get nothing in return. That's just a transfer of money from you to PG&E, to punish you for getting solar. ("But no, PG&E has to maintain transmission lines!" Yes, that's why they buy energy at wholesale rates are are allowed by law to sell them at retail at a huge spread. That's where they make the money to maintain lines.)

[errantspark]

Oh yeah this is absolutely fucking stupid, my dad put solar on his roof recently and if this shit goes through he may end up with a bigger monthly energy bill than pre-solar. Make that make sense to me. Where's the fucking equity when you're trying to be sustainable and efficient in your electricity use and you get punished for it. Talk about perverse incentives.

At least it'll be fun to help him build a fully off grid system.

[twiceaday]

As far as I know existing owners and even near-term ones are grandfathered into the old rules so your dad won't have to pay extra until something like 20 years from now?

[tinktank]

Could a battery solve this problem? Is it a possible solution?

[nradov]

Sure if you can get the battery cheap enough and amortize the cost over many years. Currently the economics don't really work for most households, but there reliability benefits that can make it worth doing.