We are in support of SB 700 (Wiener; D-San Francisco) a bill that will establish a statewide system of rebate programs to subsidize the cost of installation of customer-sited energy storage.
SB 700 would authorize the Investor Owned Utilities to collect revenue for the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) for the ten-year period (2018-2027) to incentivize the installation of small-scale energy storage which will complement the increasing amount of renewable energy coming on-line.
The power output of standard rooftop solar energy systems is the greatest between the hours of 10am to 3pm. However, as the state moves towards Time-of-Use utility rates, the renewable energy produced during the middle of the day will be at the cheapest rate when demand for power is low while power used during the late-afternoon and early-evening will be at the highest rate when demand for power surges.
Complementing the installation of distributed renewable energy systems with on-site or near-site energy storage systems will provide significant cost savings to the utility customer while offering the added benefit of providing for improved grid harmonization.
SB 700 will help provide incentive funding to encourage the installation of these much needed energy storage systems.
This bill will be heard next week and we will keep you posted on its progress.
Click here for a recent op/ed on how this bill will enable property owners to use this technology to better meet energy and ghg requirements.
