Padilla Representative for California State Senate District 18. He lives in Chula Vista.
Californians are facing higher electricity bills as customers inevitably pay higher costs to suppress worsening wildfires. Adding cheaper, cleaner energy to our electricity supply could dramatically reduce the strain on our climate and our wallets, but aging Californians are spending millions of dollars on clean electricity that doesn't reach their homes. Our energy grid is holding us back. I introduced Senate Bill 1006, the Grid Modernization and Enhancement Act, to change that.
SB 1006 requires utilities to provide low-cost, energy-saving energy that saves Californians money by preventing wildfires, increasing the efficiency of the existing power grid, and delivering cheaper clean energy to homes and businesses. Mandating the inclusion of easy-to-install software and hardware. . These additional features are called Grid Enhancing Technologies (GET). Similarly, utilities can use high-performance wire replacements called advanced conductors as another immediate and low-cost solution to power transmission shortages. Progressive conductors are highlighted in a bill introduced by Rep. Eddie Garcia (D-Coachella) and Rep. Cotti Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine).
San Diego saw a steeper rise in interest rates than any other state. Last summer, the average monthly bill for California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) customers soared by more than $400. And while rates fell as temperatures cooled, they began to rise in November as temperatures cooled and residents turned on their heat. As of January 2024, nearly 40% of San Diego CARE customers were unable to pay their utility bills. This is a crisis. The solution requires an efficient power grid powered by clean energy.
There are many reasons why energy costs are rising, but grid congestion is the main one. Grid congestion occurs when clean energy is ready but the grid cannot accommodate it. That means the electricity just hits the building at breakneck speed, just like the traffic jams in Los Angeles. But GETs and advanced conductors act like traffic controllers, directing the flow of energy to keep it flowing. In 2022, 80% of the grid contraction (traffic congestion scenario) was caused by congestion. If GET had been applied, California could have saved more than $680 million in wholesale energy costs.
GET can also act as a “traffic cop” on the power grid, alerting utility operators to problems with existing power lines that could lead to wildfires. Such early warning systems allow preventive measures to be taken and reduce the need for expensive wildfire mitigation measures. rear The fire started.
In a new report, researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and Grid Lab specifically praised California lawmakers who are studying GET as a cost-saving solution to reliability and grid capacity issues. ing.
Similarly, the report states that a comprehensive approach to transmission upgrades, including GET and advanced conductors, will bring the country to a 90 percent clean energy grid by 2035, and in the process provide ratepayers with 850 revealed the potential to save billions of dollars. The report found that by sticking to a plan that leverages GET and advanced conductors, the United States could have a fully renewable power grid by 2050. The authors note that bills like Senate Bill 1006 should be copied by other states and welcomed as a necessary solution by utility companies and regulators alike.
Whereas building a new transmission line can take up to 10 years and ultimately result in higher bills for customers, GET can be installed in a matter of months, increasing transmission line capacity by 20 percent to 40 percent, You can take advantage of the nation's increasingly abundant clean energy resources. Every day in California. All that untapped clean power can be harnessed simply by making the existing power grid more efficient.
California is scrambling to add as much clean energy to the grid as possible to meet growing energy demand fairly and affordably. Research shows that to reach the goal of delivering electricity from sources eligible for the 50% Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard by 2026, he will need to double the amount of clean energy currently powering the grid. need to do it. In other words, we don't have any more time to spare. Senate Bill 1006 is an immediate solution that will help put California on track to meet its climate goals while alleviating the cost burden faced by so many ratepayers here in San Diego and across the state. We provide.
