The State of California and the City of Los Angeles are considering two progressive policies to incentivize solar energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles stuck in traffic.
The Mercury News reported that the California Assembly is considering a bill that would mandate net-metering. Net metering, which is also being considered in Michigan, Minnesota and Rode Island, requires utilities to pay customers who produce more electricity than they use from solar power systems.
California already passed AB 1969 last year, which allows solar system owners to choose to sell their excess power to utilities. However, under that law, these homeowners and businesses cannot collect solar-initiative rebates, and must sell the power at a low market cost–less than the price at which utilities sell to the public.
Net metering would provide greater incentives to solar owners, yet PG&E, one of the state’s largest utilities and an active developer of solar energy itself, has criticized the bill, saying it only applies to publicly-owned companies and that it forces non-solar owners to subsidize the systems owned by others.
Los Angeles Congestion Pricing
On the regional level, Los Angeles County officials are seeking federal money to create a congestion pricing scheme on several of its infamously packed freeways, according to The Los Angeles Times.
A congestion pricing plan that aimed to charge drivers in lower Manhattan failed to gain state approval last week, freeing up $354 million in federal money that had been promised to that project. Los Angeles hopes to secure some of those funds to create toll lanes on freeways 210, 10 and 110.
However, some suggest putting a toll lanes where there are already carpool lanes, will do little to relieve the traffic, which regularly comes to a standstill.
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