by IBEW 1245 Business Manager Tom Dalzell
For the first time ever, PG&E’s bundled customers will have the option of getting solar power without putting panels on their roofs.
PG&E is on the way to providing 33% renewable power by 2020. But what about customers that want to do more? Until now, the only truly “green” choice was to install solar panels on the roof. But for many customers — including renters, people with roofs that don’t face south or are shaded, or people who do not use enough electricity to get a reasonable payback period can’t put panels on their roofs — rooftop solar simply isn’t an option.
But a new option is on the horizon. The CPUC has finally approved PG&E’s Green Tariff program (and programs for SCE and SDG&E). Under the program, for a small additional charge per kwh, all of PG&E’s customers will be able to get 100% renewable power. For the customers that sign up, PG&E will enter into power purchase agreements for new solar projects. The more customers signing up, the more new solar projects built.
This program was a long time coming. PG&E’s initial proposal was a deceptive marketing gimmick. However, CUE, with its partners TURN and the Sierra Club, negotiated for a revised proposal which PG&E accepted. Faced with opposition at the CPUC from the Marin CCA and the San Francisco CCA proponents, we went to the Legislature which enshrined the settlement into law and directed the Commission to approve it by July 1, 2014. The opponents managed to drag it out until now, but the Commission has finally approved the program.
When PG&E gets the program up and running, everyone should consider doing their part by signing up.