"We no longer need as much centralized power generation, yet it is still the planning model used by PG&E and the other investor-owned utilities (IOUs). Instead, the IOUs should be leading the effort to grow local electricity generation through solar panels, wind turbines and batteries. Microgrids should be the main method of distribution, and costly transmission lines should be minimized."
"I worked very hard for over 50 years, saving all I could, spending nothing on specialty coffees or tattoos, but investing and giving responsibly. I would like my Bay Area home, worth well over $1 million because of time and inflation, to pass to my special-needs daughter for a residence and continued care. But she won't be able to pay the current taxes on our family home; she'll have to move out to who knows where. I cannot give her something that is clearly mine."
Gov. Newsom vetoed a virtual power plants bill, slowing efforts to expand affordable, decentralized electricity. Improved technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines and batteries enable local generation and microgrids that reduce reliance on centralized power plants and costly transmission. Investor-owned utilities currently use centralized planning but could lead growth in local generation. Political messaging that emphasizes energy affordability rather than climate change could help reduce emissions. Separately, rising property tax assessments on inherited homes can make it impossible for heirs to keep family residences, creating hardship for longtime savers who want to leave homes to vulnerable dependents.
Read at The Mercury News
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