The California Public Utilities Commission shared a new policy proposal on Monday, featuring new monthly charges to connect to the grid and reducing subsidized payments for solar customers, according to CNBC.
In essence, the new policy would tax existing and new solar customers to help support the grid and to encourage consumers that already have roof solar panels to purchase battery storage systems.
The addition of battery storage systems would be of benefit to utility companies, who can be offered extra power storage from consumers with batteries at peak energy or emergency to support the grid.
In response to details on the tax, Tesla CEO @Elon Musk said “Penalizing sustainable energy is insane.”
Penalizing sustainable energy is insane
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 13, 2021
Others have also aired their criticisms of the California regulator’s newly-proposed policy, including President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association Abigail Ross Hopper.
In a statement, Hopper said, “The last thing we need is to go backward on our climate goals.” Hopper continued, “The only winners today are the utilities, which will make more profits at the expense of their ratepayers. California is now on the wrong path.”
Earlier this year, Tesla also unveiled a Virtual Power Plant program for customers with solar panels and batteries to help support California’s electrical grid.
