A bill on plug-in solar panels currently sits on the governor’s desk
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Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson, it’s THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH>>>> [ A BILL SITTING ON THE GOVERNOR’S DESK WOULD CHART A PATH FOR PLUG-IN SOLAR PANELS ]More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….########
THE CITY OF POWAY IS TAKING THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING A BAN ON A-I DATA CENTERS
ON TUESDAY NIGHT, POWAY’S CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO BAN A-I COMPANIES FROM BUILDING DATA CENTERS IN THE CITY
COUNCIL MEMBERS EXPRESSED CONCERNS OVER THEIR HIGH DEMANDS FOR ENERGY, WATER AND LAND
TIMES OF SAN DIEGO SAYS DURING THE COUNCIL COMMENT PORTION, TWO MEMBERS EXPRESSED THEIR DECISION WAS STRICTLY ABOUT PRESERVING POWAY’S ENVIRONMENT AND LAND USE … AND LESS ABOUT BEING ANTI-A-I
POWAY COUNCILWOMAN ANITA EDMONDSON SAID SHE FEELS POWAY’S PRIORITY SHOULD BE ON BUSINESSES THAT BRING EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH BACK TO POWAY
FINAL APPROVAL IS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER SIXTH
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WHAT INITIALLY BEGAN BACK IN 20-21 AS A HUMBLE SAN DIEGO BASED FOOD TRUCK … NOW HAS LEBRON JAMES AS AN INVESTOR
LEBRON JAMES IS FAMOUS NOT JUST AS A BASKETBALL ICON BUT ALSO FOR HIS LOVE OF ‘TACO TUESDAYYY’
AND NOW KING JAMES IS BETTING BIG ON BIRRIA
BUSINESS INSIDER SAYS MIKE’S RED TACOS IS ONE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S FASTEST GROWING BIRRIA BUSINESSES WITH MORE THAN 300 FRANCHISE LOCATIONS NATIONWIDE
HERE IN SAN DIEGO WE HAVE A LOCATIONS IN CLAIREMONT MESA, MIRA MESA AND POINT LOMA
LEBRON SAYS HE’S INVESTING IN MIKE’S BECAUSE OF HIS CONFIDENCE IN AN AUTHENTIC AND FOUNDER-LED BRAND AND A LOVE FOR HOW TACOS BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER
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IN MORE TACO-RELATED NEWS, A LOCAL TAQUERIA’S NOW GOTTEN THE ATTENTION OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
THE PUBLICATION RECENTLY RELEASED ‘THE RESTAURANT LIST 20-26’
THEY DESCRIBE IT AS THEIR EXPERTS FIFTY FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT IN AMERICA RIGHT NOW
AND IT ONLY TOOK THREE INDOOR DINING TABLES FOR ESCONDIDO’S ‘MESA AGRICOLA’ [ agree-cola ]TO MAKE THE LIST
AGRICOLA IS LED BY A HUSBAND A WIFE DUO MAKING HANDMADE TORTILLAS AND MEXICAN DISHES … SOME WITH A FILIPINO TWIST
THE NY TIMES ALSO CREDITS THE TAQUERIA WITH USING A MAJORITY OF LOCALLY HARVESTED INGREDIENTS
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need
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A BILL ON THE GOVERNOR’S DESK WOULD EASE THE WAY FOR PLUG-IN SOLAR PANELS THAT FIT ON A BALCONY OR IN A YARD
THEY’RE EXPECTED TO MAKE RENEWABLE ENERGY MORE ACCESSIBLE AS MANY RATEPAYERS FACE SOARING POWER BILLS
PUBLIC MATTERS REPORTER KEVIN TREVELLYAN VISITED ONE LOCAL HOMEOWNER WHO ALREADY INSTALLED HIS OWN SET
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BALCSOLAR (kt) TRT (4:38) SOQ
Dave Kesner’s household was the first on his hilly La Mesa street to install rooftop solar panels in 2-thousand. That’s when a massive electricity shortage created blackouts and price spikes across California.
“Our utility rates virtually doubled very, very quickly. And I just thought, ‘This is not sustainable.’”
Kesner was happy with his rooftop setup, until it finally died last year. Contractors said it would’ve cost at least 5-thousand-dollars to replace.
"It didnt make financial sense."
Kesner later learned about something called plug-in solar at a community forum. For under 2-thousand-dollars… he bought a kit that’s cheaper, smaller, and much easier to set up than his old rooftop array. No electrician required.
“I got it delivered on a Friday afternoon, and by Saturday afternoon it was up on the roof, plugged in, making power.”
Four 250-watt panels sit on top of Kesner’s garage. He didn’t need to drill them down. They plug directly into a regular wall outlet, and generate more energy than 16 of his old rooftop panels. Enough to turn Kesner into a small-scale solar evangelist with his friends and family.
“Love solar. I think it's a win-win environmentally, financially. Take a little bit of power away from local utilities. So I very much wanted to do that.”
Systems like Kesner’s – often called balcony solar – are poised to get much more popular across California.
Last month… state lawmakers passed legislation allowing households to install plug-in setups without going through a potentially time-consuming and pricey application process.
A balcony system can be up to 12-hundred watts – enough to power a fridge or window AC unit. And it’s treated less like a rooftop solar construction project, and more like an appliance.
During hearings at the Statehouse… Californians from a range of backgrounds shuffled toward the dais to support the bill.
“I’m Joel Blackwell from Corte Madera and I represent Old People Who Need Air Conditioning (crowd laughs).”
Plug-in panels are gaining momentum as incentives for rooftop set-ups fade.
Mike Ferry is with UC San Diego’s Center for Energy Research. He says plug-in panels can empower households that may not have the capital or long-term stability to get rooftop panels. Like renters.
“There's a whole segment of consumers, probably the majority, that haven't been able to participate in that.”
Ferry says San Diego County is well-suited for plug-in solar, which has become more affordable in recent years. The region gets lots of sunlight and electricity bills are typically more than double the national average.
“If you can utilize that investment in a small balcony solar system to offset some of your highest cost electricity and save some money on your utility bill, then it's a really good fit.”
California’s balcony solar policy does include some compromises.
Several utilities opposed the legislation over concerns electricity could backfeed onto the grid if equipment is damaged or installed incorrectly. Sherise Blackwood with SDG&E said during a hearing… that going through the application process ensures everything’s safe.
“The current process is already streamlined. Eliminating it does not increase access, it removes critical safeguards for workers and customers.”
California lawmakers decided balcony set-ups need to be certified under new national safety standards. That means above a certain wattage, a user may need to hire an electrician to connect their panels to a special wall outlet.
“But of course, that is not very conducive to adoption. As soon as you hire an electrician, you might spend more on the electrician work than on the solar panel.”
Ruper Mayer co-founded Bright Saver, a Bay Area nonprofit selling plug-in solar kits at wholesale prices. He says California isn’t quite as consumer friendly as other states. A handful have formally legalized balcony solar since last year, inspired by a movement that began in Germany.
“You see solar on every shed, on every barn, on every house, next to the freeway, next to the railroad tracks. It is amazing.”
Mayer compared the current U-S balcony solar landscape to the first era of rooftop panels… when homeowner interest outpaced laws in many places. Back then, some referred to it as “guerilla solar.”
“So in my mind, we're almost in a solar guerrilla movement 2.0 now, 30 years later, where again, early adoption will drive the legislation and the code making and establish this as a useful thing that everyone can benefit from.”
That’s as long as balcony solar is accessible in California. The new state policy sunsets in 2030, as a safeguard against unintended consequences for the power grid.
Mayer thinks there will be enough demand to extend it though. There’s currently a waitlist for Bright Saver kits… with three shipping containers scheduled to reach California in the coming weeks.
KT, KPBS news
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THE IMPERIAL VALLEY’S WATER AND POWER AGENCY HAS ADOPTED NEW PRICING RULES REQUIRING THAT DATA CENTERS BE THE FIRST TO LOSE POWER WHEN DEMAND SURGES
REPORTER KORI SUZUKI SAYS IT’S A RESPONSE TO GROWING WORRIES ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE AI BOOM ON POWER GRIDS
IIDRULE 1 (:58) SOQ
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The Imperial Irrigation District supplies electricity to both Imperial County and the Coachella Valley.
On Tuesday, the agency’s board of directors voted unanimously to approve the new pricing rules. They’ll require big customers to pay for infrastructure upgrades and commit to a 15-year-contract.
They also give the agency the power to shut those users off first when energy demand soars, like during the summer months. Here’s IID Director J.B. Hamby.
This is an evolving complicated set of issues that we're trying to grapple with in in real time.
IID Chair Karin Eugenio [kuh-RIN you-JEEN-nee-oh] said other local elected officials had failed to put the public first. She said IID was fulfilling their duty to the environment and the health of residents.
As a public utility, we must provide power to applicants who meet the established requirements, but we have an equally important duty to protect the public.
IID is currently considering at least one large data center proposal… which is facing pushback from many Imperial Valley residents.
Kori Suzuki, KPBS News.
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CALIFORNIANS WILL CHOOSE A NEW INSURANCE COMMISSIONER THIS NOVEMBER.
CAP RADIO’S LAURA FITZGERALD HAS MORE ON THE TWO DEMOCRATS VYING TO BE THE STATE’S TOP INSURANCE REGULATOR.
INSURANCE (cprn) TRT 1:02 last words "June primary"
If you’re like a lot of Californians, you might be wondering what the Insurance Commissioner does. They’re responsible for regulating insurance rates and enforcing state laws that govern the insurance industry, apart from health insurance.
The role’s become more prominent recently as more and more Californians lose their homeowners insurance due to wildfire risk.
Two Democrats are in the running.
Democratic State Senator Ben Allen represents the area ravaged by the Palisades fire last year and has the backing of the California Democratic Party.
ALLEN: I’m running for insurance commissioner because I want to hold polluters accountable. I want to make sure people are treated fairly by the insurance industry. I want to make sure we do that hard work to reduce our risk.
Allen’s up against Democrat and former San Francisco County Supervisor Jane Kim, who’s seen as the more progressive candidate in the race and is endorsed by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
KIM: I’m running to make insurance available for everyone. To lower costs right away, by capping excess profits and CEO pay, and to write a plan to guarantee healthcare for every child in California.
Kim led Allen by around 7 points in the June primary
TAG: THAT WAS LAURA FITZGERALD WITH CAP-RADIO
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A GROWING NUMBER OF VETERANS IN THE U-S ARE WOMEN.
AND THIS WEEK A NORTH COUNTY NON-PROFIT IS CELEBRATING 10 YEARS SINCE IT RE-BRANDED AND RE-FOCUSED ITS MISSION TO HELP THEM.
MILITARY AND VETERANS REPORTER ANDREW DYER HAS MORE.
F4WW 1 (ad) :48 SOQ
The V-A says the percentage of veterans who are women has almost doubled over the last 20 years and in another 20 it’ll almost double again.
Marine veteran Jodie Grenier (grin - nair) is the CEO of Foundation for Women Warriors.
She served two tours in Iraq. When she left the Marines in 2005 she says there wasn’t much help for women.
JG: A lot of my male counterparts had built-in networks. They had served with so many men, and they were met with support. I, on the other hand, was met with questions about my service
The foundation offers help to women transitioning out of the military by providing financial education and assistance.
And Grenier says those who don’t need financial help can always find community there.
More information is on their website foundation for women warriors dot org.
Andrew Dyer, KPBS News
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That’s it for the podcast today. This podcast is edited by Brooke Ruth and hosted and produced by me, Lawrence K. Jackson. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Thanks for listening and have a great day/weekend.
