CA: "It's Official!" CPUC Approves $3.2 Billion Solar Program

Environment California

[FOG724]

Free shade trees

If your home has an eastern, western or southern exposure that heats up during the summer, you may be eligible to receive free trees from SMUD.

Since 1990, SMUD, in collaboration with the Sacramento Tree Foundation, has planted more than 350.000 SMUD trees in the Sacramento area.

Together we continue to provide expert advice on tree selection and planting techniques, and healthy trees from 4 to 7 feet tall, along with stakes, ties, fertilizer and tree delivery at no cost to you. All you do is promise to plant and pledge to care for the trees.

http://www.smud.org/residential/saving/trees/

[DugwayDuke]

"I think the system they're talking about is not independent. You're still on the grid, just sending electricity to the electric company during the day (which they pay you for). If the power goes out, yours does too."

So, let me see if I understand this. A CA resident is supposed to buy a solar system that generates power and that power is sent to the grid. In return, the CA power company sells the CA resident back the power. Pretty kewl scheme, you build the power plant and I'll sell you the power from it.

[Czar]

"If your home has an eastern, western or southern exposure that heats up during the summer, you may be eligible to receive free trees from SMUD."

OK, so it's not a joke.

I would advise the SMUDsters to stay the hell away from my area. People paid a LOT of money for these views and will not take kindly to anyone wanting to add more trees to block them.

It appears we have pretty much reached the point where something more than the ballot box and mere chitchat is going to be required. Both the federal and state governments continue to tread on thin ice. And it's starting to crack.

[Republican in CA]

I was told that the power is sent to the grid, and the electric company pays the home owner for the power generated during the day. Then the home owner pays for the power used during the night. The net result is positive for the home owner, but small in comparison to the cost of the system. (I think they said it paid for itself in ten years?)

Also, if I install a solar system, I want to be able to avoid blackouts (in a suburb of Los Angeles, we've been having short, 20 to 30 minute outages every three months or so), so what's the point?