California’s Solar Rooftop Experience: An Update
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Date
2020-01
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics & Public Policy
Abstract
Description
An earlier Takeaway focusing on 2010 showed the necessity of state and federal subsidies to support the adoption of residential solar rooftops. Back then, the environmental bang for the buck was poor. But now, steeply falling solar costs have changed the picture. As before, this update looks not only at the costs and benefits to the solar adopters, but also to the investor-owned electric utilities, to the government, and to the environment. Cost reductions in solar panels now make subsidies unnecessary, but electric utilities continue to face a difficult situation. The author argues that wo big policy changes are needed.
Keywords
rooftop solar, California electricity regulation