California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra announced a proposal on Tuesday to provide two hours of free electricity per day to lower-income households, framing it as a way to reduce utility costs and shift energy consumption toward midday hours when solar generation peaks. Becerra did not specify how the plan would be structured or financed.
California gubernatorial candidate Becerra proposes two hours of free daily electricity for lower-income residents
California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra announced a proposal on Tuesday to provide two hours of free electricity per day to lower-income households, framing it as a way to reduce utility costs and shift energy consumption toward midday hours when solar generation peaks. Becerra did not specify how the plan would be structured or financed.
Becerra made the announcement at an event hosted by Politico, describing the proposal as building on existing state assistance programs for residents who cannot afford electricity bills. He said the plan would also incentivize households to use electricity during the afternoon hours of roughly 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., when solar output is highest and grid demand is typically lower.
California energy bills have risen 39% over the past six years, the largest increase of any state, according to UC Berkeley's Haas Energy Institute. The increases have been attributed in part to destructive wildfires in the Los Angeles area and policy decisions that have shifted costs onto ratepayers.
Becerra said he expected to implement the plan in his first year in office, working in coordination with the state public utilities commission.
A comparable program has been in operation in Australia, where some states offered three free hours of electricity per day. Under that model, participants who used free hours paid higher rates during the remaining hours of the day.
Energy Consumers Australia, a consumer advocacy organization, cautioned against the Australian approach, warning that participants could end up with higher overall bills rather than savings. Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has also made California's high energy costs a focus of his campaign.
- No funding mechanism or cost estimate for the proposal was provided.
- No design details, such as eligibility thresholds or how free hours would be administered, were disclosed.
- Republican candidate Steve Hilton's specific policy positions on energy costs are not detailed in the source.
- The state public utilities commission's response to or assessment of the proposal is not included.
- No independent energy policy experts in California are quoted evaluating the feasibility of the plan.
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