Wait – plug in/portable solar panels are illegal? What’s a renter to do?

Photo above - 2015 film "The Martian". Astronaut Matt Damon learns that he will need to pay a $199 connect fee and wait weeks for inspections and permits before using his portable solar panel.

Disclaimer – the legality of portable and plug-in solar panels varies state by state. The MSN link below warns us what we're up against in California.

How would you like to save $500 (or more) annually on your electric bill? And reduce the need to build more and more electric plants, which will probably only be used to power AI data centers anyway? Well, portable panels are illegal in California. San Francisco (unofficial slogan: “be sure to wear some flowers in your hair”) has a litany of fees, permits, and inspections before you can use that Flex Solar 100W panel you ordered from Amazon (just $75. Price drop from $89).

Pacific Gas and Electric – the state controlled power monopoly - lobbied to have all those fees and regulations in place for renters with plug in panels. Right now the police might be scanning for portable solar panels on renters’ balconies, and file criminal charges. It's easy for cops to catch solar panel scofflaws, unlike shoplifters who can just run away.

Evidently PG&E is worried that if enough people use plug-in panels to power their portable space heaters the company could lose big money. At least that’s what they convinced legislators and regulators.

San Francisco is now considering a bill to restore free access to the sun. If this new bill passes, you will no longer have to interconnect your dinky panel to PG and E's 10 gazillion watt grid, wait weeks for inspections and permits, and pay a connect fee. Hooray, right?

The real problem here is that California’s politicians think they can solve their budget fiascos by taxing anything and everything. They just put a new $15 battery tax in place on January 1st. It applies to things like (smart phones, laptops, tablets, etc).

So . . . i have to pay a fee to collect sunlight, and another tax just to own the battery? Only someone diabolically evil could come up with a scheme like this.

I’m just sayin’ . . .

California bill would help renters lower electricity bills by easing rules for plug-in solar panels

whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M

Gee... Anyone would think the government were on the side of the power companies.. I contrast, an item on our news just yesterday said that a recent blast of hot weather had failed to produce any of the expected spikes in demand for electricity, due to the slack being taken up by the solar panels installed in one home in three in Australia.. After two 40C plus days, my power consumption never moved at all..And I dont have a battery. My bill is too low to justify the cost..😷

whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M

@SusanInFlorida Sorry. Your opening statement is a terminological Inexactitude. And even if it were true, think it through. Half the board of the FED are former directors of Goldman Sachs. If they were to hold opinions based on their politics, exactly who do you think they would favour.?
And please. Dont get me started on the intelligence in the White House. You arent going to win that one, no matter how long we arm wrestle..😷

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@whowasthatmaskedman you attribute a view to me which i NEVER made. I don't assert that Fed board governors - whether from Goldman Sachs or Harvard or any other place - are basing their rate decisions based on political affiliation.

i'm pointing out that the long term pattern of fed rate actions is to serve up rate cuts in a presidential election year. no matter which party controls the white house going into the election.