{"id":2034939,"date":"2023-09-16T20:57:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-17T00:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-california-electricity-costs-have-more-than-doubled-energy-columnist\/"},"modified":"2023-09-16T21:00:43","modified_gmt":"2023-09-17T01:00:43","slug":"why-california-electricity-costs-have-more-than-doubled-energy-columnist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-california-electricity-costs-have-more-than-doubled-energy-columnist\/","title":{"rendered":"California electricity costs have more than doubled, says energy columnist."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhy-california-electricity-costs-have-more-than-doubled-energy-columnist%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2034939&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>California&#8217;s High Utility Rates: A Burden on Residents<\/h2>\n<p>It&#8217;s widely known that California boasts some of the highest utility rates \u200dnationwide, with recent statistics revealing Golden State residents pay more than twice the national average.<\/p>\n<p>As of\u2063 July, the average\u200c national electricity rate is\u200b 17 cents per \u200ckilowatt hour, while in \u200dCalifornia, \u200bresidents are paying 28 cents\u200d in Los Angeles; 35 cents in San Francisco, and 48 cents in San Diego, according to the U.S. Bureau\u200d of Labor Statistics.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWe are in California, bearing\u200b this tremendous burden financially, to model good climate behavior. And\u200d it doesn&#8217;t do anything,\u201d\u2062 Susan Shelley, a columnist with the Southern California News Group and a long-time writer on California\u2019s energy-related issues, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/why-california-electricity-costs-have-more-than-doubled-susan-shelley-5483710\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent interview<\/a> on EpochTV\u2019s \u201cCalifornia\u2064 Insider.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/california-extends-use-of-3-gas-powered-plants-to-avoid-energy-crises-5465399\">California Extends Use of\u200b Its Last 3 Gas-Powered Plants to Avoid Energy\u2064 Crises<\/a> &#8211; 8\/14\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/green-energys-cost-californias-wildlife-species-pay-the-price-5458439\">Green Energy&#8217;s Cost: California&#8217;s Wildlife \u2062Pay the Price<\/a> &#8211; 8\/12\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In 2018, the state Legislature passed\u200b a bill mandating \u200bCalifornia to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. The drive behind this\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/big-oil-ceos-thumb-nose-at-green-energy-transition-say-fossil-fuels-still-have-essential-role\/\" title=\"Big Oil CEOs Thumb Nose At Green Energy Transition, Say Fossil Fuels Still Have \u2018Essential Role\u2019\">green energy transition<\/a>\u2063 is climate change, according to the California \u2063Environmental Protection Agency.<\/p>\n<p>However, Ms. Shelley said the impact of such an effort by the state is almost negligible on the \u2062global climate.<\/p>\n<p>According to a 2022 California \u200bAir Resources\u2064 Board report, the state emits around 370 million metric \u200btons\u200c of greenhouse gases annually, accounting \u200bfor less than 1 percent of\u2063 global emissions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe whole state could \u200bshut down, and it would make no difference to the global climate,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>And such goals create a \u2062heavy financial burden\u2062 on the people, Ms.\u200d Shelley said.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Recent data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration indicate that between\u2064 June 2022 and June \u20642023, Californians, on\u200c average, experienced an electricity rate hike of approximately 19 percent.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Ms. Shelley suggested that the rise in rates may be attributed, in part, to what is known as supply-demand disparity,\u2062 which has been exacerbated by the increasing sales of electric vehicles \u2063and other electric equipment.<\/p>\n<p>According to\u200d the California Energy Commission, \u2063in 2022, \u200bEVs constituted 20 percent \u2064of the\u2064 state&#8217;s \u200dnew vehicle sales, a \u2063nearly 200 percent increase compared\u2064 to five years ago,\u2064 and were \u200b40 percent of EV\u2062 sales nationwide.<\/p>\n<p>But the escalating demand for electricity is also increasing the likelihood \u200dof\u200c brownouts and blackouts, she said, prompting the state to sometimes encourage residents to reduce usage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat they&#8217;re trying to do is force people to use electricity at a \u2063different\u200b time of \u2063day, when there&#8217;s more solar energy, which doesn&#8217;t help\u2063 you when you come \u2064home from work, and you want to charge your car\u2062 and run your electric appliances,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, she said, the state is going \u2062to move toward what she called \u201cdemand response,\u201d where residents will use \u2062less \u2064electricity due to pricing or rolling blackouts, when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-california-electricity-costs-have-more-than-doubled-energy-columnist\/\" title=\"California electricity costs have more than doubled, says energy columnist.\">utility companies\u200c intentionally shutdown\u200d power<\/a> \u200bover different parts of the state\u2019s\u200b electric grid to avoid a total\u200d blackout when the demand\u2063 for electricity exceeds capacity.<\/p>\n<p>She additionally said relying heavily on solar energy is not realistic, given\u200b that peak demand often occurs when it is not available, after the sun goes down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s a fantasy. \u2026 We can\u200b only go to 100 percent renewable if it&#8217;s \u200d [always] summer and never night. \u2063And I don&#8217;t think we&#8217;re on that planet,\u201d she\u2064 said.<\/p>\n<p>Currently,\u200d about 35 percent of electricity is generated by renewable sources, including solar and wind\u200d energy, according to the California Energy Commission.<\/p>\n<p>Besides reducing electricity use, the state is also pushing to close \u2063its nuclear and gas-powered plants.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2009, the number of gas-powered plants in California were \u2064reduced from 19 \u200bto three due to various reasons, and the last three were originally\u2062 set to shut down in 2020, according\u2062 to the California Energy Commission.<\/p>\n<p>However, the commission approved two three-year\u2062 extensions, with the latest one granted in August, citing the need for \u2063emergency preparedness.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Shelley criticized such last-minute extensions as also one of the reasons electricity rates are rising.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy law in California, utilities\u200b have to sign 10-year \u200dcontracts with solar \u200cand wind providers. \u2026 [But] \u2064they can&#8217;t sign a 10-year contract with the gas-fired electricity generating companies. \u200cSo, there&#8217;s no long-term contract. You \u2062have to \u200bhave long-term contracts\u2064 in order\u2064 to have stability\u2014stability of supply, stability of price,\u201d \u2064she said.<\/p>\n<p>In March, federal regulators granted an exemption, \u2062at the request of Pacific Gas &#038;\u200b Electric, allowing California&#8217;s\u200c final nuclear power facility, Diablo Canyon, to \u2062keep running amidst \u2064the \u2064state&#8217;s \u2064challenges with electricity shortages.<\/p>\n<p>According to \u2063the California Energy Commission,\u200b the two remaining reactors at the plant\u2014located in\u2064 San \u200cLuis Obispo County on the Central Coast\u2014generate approximately 9 percent of the state&#8217;s electricity.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the first reactor is licensed\u200d to operate\u200b until November \u200d2024, while the second \u2062is authorized until August 2025.<\/p>\n<p>The cost\u2064 for these extensions, Ms. Shelley\u200b said,\u200c will show up in Californian\u2019s electric bills due to the absence\u2064 of long-term contracts that offer price stability.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe really should be realistic in what we&#8217;re doing, that&#8217;s hurting us, hurting our economy, hurting job creation, [and] hurting us in the cost of living,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What factors\u2062 contribute to the increased costs of utilities such as electricity, water, and natural gas in California?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Cluding\u200c solar and wind, in California, according to the California Energy Commission. The state has a goal of \u2063reaching 100 percent clean energy by 2045.<\/p>\n<p>While the push for renewable energy and the reduction\u2064 of \u2062<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">greenhouse gas emissions<\/a> is commendable, the burden falls heavily on the residents who are faced with skyrocketing utility rates. In addition to the higher electricity rates, Californians\u200d also face rising costs for other utilities such as water \u200dand \u2064natural gas.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200cincreased\u200c rates can be attributed to several \u2062factors. \u2064One is the \u2062investment needed to upgrade and maintain the state&#8217;s aging infrastructure. Another factor is the reliance on renewable energy sources, which often require significant upfront costs for installation and maintenance. The costs are then passed on to the consumers.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the demand for electricity in California is rapidly increasing. \u2064The rise in electric vehicles and other electric equipment has contributed to the strain on the grid. While \u2063electric vehicles are touted as a solution to reducing emissions, they also place an additional burden on the already stretched electricity supply.<\/p>\n<p>In an\u200b attempt to\u2063 manage the demand, the state\u2063 has implemented \u200dprograms that\u2063 encourage residents to reduce their electricity usage during peak times. However, this puts\u200b a \u200dburden on the residents who may need\u2064 to charge their\u2063 electric vehicles or\u2063 use electricity for other essential purposes when it is most convenient for them.<\/p>\n<p>The state&#8217;s heavy reliance\u200b on\u2062 solar energy also \u200dposes challenges. Peak demand often occurs\u200b when \u200dsolar energy is not available, which means that\u2063 alternative energy sources must be used. This increases the \u2063cost of generating electricity and contributes to the overall rise in utility rates.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the burden of high utility rates falls on the residents who are struggling to make ends meet. The cost of living in California is already high, and the high utility rates \u200donly add to the financial strain. The state should consider implementing strategies that prioritize affordability and\u200c ensure that residents are not overly burdened by the \u2063cost of utilities.<\/p>\n<p>While the goal of achieving \u200ccarbon neutrality and transitioning to renewable energy is important, it should not come at the expense of the residents. The state should explore ways to reduce the financial burden on residents while still working towards its climate goals.<\/p>\n<p>California&#8217;s high utility rates are a burden on its residents. As the state continues to prioritize renewable energy and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/buttigieg-becomes-the-first-millennial-confirmed-to-a-cabinet-position\/\" title=\"Buttigieg Becomes The First Millennial Confirmed To A Cabinet Position\">reduce greenhouse gas emissions<\/a>, it must also find \u200bways to make utility costs more affordable for the \u2064people who call California home. Balancing the need for clean energy with the financial well-being of \u2064residents should be a top \u200dpriority for policymakers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Francisco. California has the highest utility rates in the US, with residents paying over twice the national average. In Los Angeles, the electricity rate is 28 cents per kilowatt hour, and in San Francisco, it&#8217;s 35 cents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2289,"featured_media":2034940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2034939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2034939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2289"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2034939"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2034939\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2034940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2034939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2034939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2034939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}