So the surcharge makes sense from a load planning perspective. Solar panels are great when the sun is out and they’re producing. But when it’s not, you still need energy from the grid, which means the utility still needs to maintain and enhance the system that feeds you, which costs money, even if you’re not using it all the time. Power grids are extremely expensive to build and maintain. Obviously in California they have many more problems than just that, but I get the need to pay a surcharge to maintain the feed to your house.
https://news.energysage.com/net-metering-2-0-in-california-everything-you-need-to-know/#:~:text=Under%20NEM%202.0%2C%20residential%20and,PG%26E%20customers%20will%20pay%20%24145.
You pay a fee to the power company when you install it. You pay a new minimum surcharge (NBCs) that others do not.
So the surcharge makes sense from a load planning perspective. Solar panels are great when the sun is out and they’re producing. But when it’s not, you still need energy from the grid, which means the utility still needs to maintain and enhance the system that feeds you, which costs money, even if you’re not using it all the time. Power grids are extremely expensive to build and maintain. Obviously in California they have many more problems than just that, but I get the need to pay a surcharge to maintain the feed to your house.