SageBrush said:
Oilpan4 said:
If renewables are so cheap then why do the people of California get 29% of their electricity from renewables and pay an average over 18 cents per kwh for Jan 2019?
It is simple. The high final retail cost is not due to the renewable component. Californians are still paying off the debt they took on to bail out their utilities after Enron.
I'm going to call BS on that.
I read 13 news articles from different sources none of them said anything about Enron or bailing out utilities.
The common theme seems to be paying for renewables, old contracts over paying for renewables, the high cost of long distance transmission lines, early conventional plant closure.
It looks like NM isn't going to get locked into any over priced early adopter contracts and won't have to build expensive transmission capacity.
But the renewable mandate proponents here are pushing early closure of fuel burning power plants.
I think spending money on reneging contacts for an early out is a complete waste of money. Money that could be spent directly on more solar, wind power and transmission.
This part of the mandate is the poison pill, this will be the thing that kills the deal.
https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2017/02/21/breaking-news-california-electricity-prices-are-high/
An op-ed blaming early closure of power plants, transmission, high cost of solar.
https://www.quora.com/Why-are-electricity-bills-so-expensive-in-California
More of an op-ed
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2018/04/25/yes-solar-and-wind-really-do-increase-electricity-prices-and-for-inherently-physical-reasons/
Blames the high cost of transmission lines and too many new plant builds.
http://environmentalprogress.org/big-news/2018/2/12/electricity-prices-rose-three-times-more-in-california-than-in-rest-of-us-in-2017
Talks about the unreliability of renewables making costs high.
https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-electricity-capacity/
Talks about paying to close fairly advanced, clean natural gas plants decades ahead of schedule and building unnecessary renewable plants.
https://www.chooseenergy.com/news/article/renewables-making-electricity-expensive/amp/
Claims the state has spent 2.9 trillion on renewables since 2004, then goes on to talk about Germany adding an additional 11 per kwh surcharge to customers bills to pay for solar. This 2.9 trillion may be some of that debt you spoke of, but the power companies were forced to buy into it. So in effect the consumer is forced to bail out the utility for buying into renewable energy stuff the government made them buy into.
There was a fox news one that said some of the same reasons as all the others.
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2017/02/06/californias-electricity-glut-residents-pay-more-than-national-average.html
Blames excessive renewable power stations being built.
https://news.energysage.com/is-your-electric-bill-too-high-heres-how-to-troubleshoot/
One of the more bazaar articles. Pretty much Blames you the consumer for using too much electricity. I feel like this is probably a puppet for the utility.
The other ones were boarder line conspiracy theories. But nothing about Enron or bailing out utilities.
Humor me.
I would love to read how a texas company that dealt mostly in dirty energy scammed billions of dollars from California.