This Could Slash Your Energy Bill

One of the top concerns I’ve heard from San Franciscans in recent years is the skyrocketing cost of energy. And for good reason – PG&E has jacked up our electricity rates by 40% in the last four years, placing working people in an impossible position.

The California Legislature is working on a wide array of programs to tackle this program. Earlier this year, I led an effort to help San Francisco break away from PG&E and form our own public utility, a process that is still ongoing. There are dozens of other bills and state programs that attempt to tackle the challenging issues facing our energy system.

But alongside that important structural work, it’s important to make progress for members of our community right now, especially working people on the front lines of our affordability crisis. That’s why I’m so excited to tell you about my new legislation to advance plug-in solar, which is on the path to become law by the end of the year if all goes well.

Plug-in solar (also known as balcony solar) is a light, mobile solar device that’s perfect to place on your balcony railing, backyard, siding or anywhere that gets sun. It plugs directly into a home’s standard 120‑volt outlet, and the electricity it generates flows directly to the nearest refrigerator, air conditioner or other appliance that’s running. It is especially beneficial for renters, who typically don’t benefit from solar energy cost savings, and in places like Utah and Virginia, you can buy one for around $600 depending on the size.

These mobile solar kits have the potential to revolutionize how Americans think about energy. For decades, electricity came from the utility. If you own your own home, you have the option to pay someone to install a solar array on your roof, which will eventually pay for itself over the course of years of energy savings.

Plug-in solar is different. Anyone can access it to harvest sunshine and generate immediate energy savings or around $450 per year, depending on the household and system. And anyone can install it – you don’t need a license or professional training as rooftop solar arrays do.

These systems put enormous power in the hands of Californians to determine their energy future. Whether you are a passionate environmentalist who wants to do everything possible to lower your carbon emissions, or you’re merely looking to lower your electrical bill, plug-in solar is a powerful tool.

For many years, renters, condo-owners and homeowners for whom rooftop solar just isn’t a good fit, didn’t have good options if they wanted to generate their own power or lower their greenhouse gas emissions.

Right now, the biggest impediment to widespread adoption of plug-in solar is, you guessed it – utilities like PG&E. These companies, which have a strong vested interest in preventing people from producing their own power, are requiring users to go through convoluted interconnection agreements, similar to those required of a utility-scale solar farm.

My legislation, The Plug And Play Solar Act, would remove these absurd barriers. More than four million of these units have been deployed in Germany with no significant mishaps, and nearly 30 US states have introduced similar legislation.

As is always the case however, the country needs California to lead the way. While Utah and a few other states have passed plug-in solar laws, it is the massive size of California’s market and our abundant sunshine that will truly drive the price of these units down and make them widely available to consumers.

The Plug And Play Solar Act will be voted on in August. Until then, I will be hard at work to ensure these energy saving tools can make their way into many more homes as soon as possible.

Scott Wiener represents San Francisco and northern San Mateo County in the California Senate. He chairs the Senate Budget Committee and is a member of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus. He can be reached at 415-557-1300.