These proposals include reforming the program that will pay homeowners $8.5 billion this year for solar panel energy, phasing out funding of non-energy related social programs such as “food deserts” assistance from energy budgets, and reducing capital expenditures. 

Under current regulations, utilities’ profits are capped relative to the value of their capital investments, which the report says incentivizes utilities to spend and borrow as much money as possible to increase their profit allowance – at ratepayers’ and taxpayers’ expense. 

According to the California Public Utilities Commission’s latest electricity rate report, rates for the state’s three largest utilities have increased by an average of 96% since January 2014 and 42% since January 2021.

“California’s electricity rates have surged beyond inflation, straining households and businesses hindering decarbonization efforts,” wrote the CPUC. “Wildfire mitigation measures, costly infrastructure investments, and rooftop solar subsidies all contribute to rising costs. Without changes in how utilities recover expenses, rates will continue to climb.”

The governor’s order put significant constraints on the CPUC’s scope of recommendations, requiring the recommendations “reduce costs to electric ratepayers without compromising public health and safety, electric grid reliability, or the achievement of the State’s 2045 clean electricity goal and the State’s 2045 economywide carbon neutrality goal.”

Within these constraints, the CPUC made four recommendations on how to reduce rates by 4-5% within the first year, with future rate reductions growing over time.

First, CPUC recommended minimizing “expensive construction projects,” explaining how current regulations encourage utilities to choose expensive options that allow them to raise their CPUC-regulated profit allowance. 

“There is a profit motive for utilities to pursue capital-intensive projects, as they earn a ‘return on equity’ on these investments which increases overall costs for ratepayers,” wrote the CPUC, which must approve utility projects. “Without proper oversight, this profit motive can lead to prioritizing expensive projects over more efficient alternatives.”

In addition to recommending choosing lower cost options, the CPUC also suggested securitizing some higher cost projects, which would require bonds to be issued, and paid back by ratepayers — which would not come with ROE provisions. CPUC estimates this change on just undergrounding of power lines could save customers $41 million per year in 2025, and $310 million per year by 2026. 

CPUC suggests significantly reforming the rooftop solar subsidy plan that will issue $8.5 billion per year by the end of 2024 — up from $3.5 billion per year in 2021 — to energy customers with solar panels installed.

Under the existing plan, solar-equipped customers “receive payments at retail electricity rates for their exported energy, often exceeding its actual market value.” 

Utilities often must pay other operators to take excess solar energy, on top of paying solar customers the retail rate for the negative-value solar energy, leaving non-solar customers with the bill. 

“These growing subsidies, paid for by non-rooftop solar customers, contribute to higher electricity rates and result in a higher cost burden to non-[solar] customers,” wrote the CPUC. “Additionally, rooftop solar customers do not contribute their fair share of fixed grid costs, such as maintaining power lines and ensuring grid reliability.” 

An earlier CPUC report found 15% of non-solar customers’ energy bills went towards payments to solar customers. 

The CPUC recommends reducing the solar compensation rates and transitioning buyers of property with high-reimbursement agreements to the current lower rate. 

CPUC further recommended that utilities “phase out non-cost-effective programs from electricity rates,” that it says often have “very little to do with reducing energy consumption,” which means “funding them through customers’ energy bills effectively acts as a regressive tax.” 

The CPUC said “programs addressing food deserts or supporting high school and community college courses, while socially beneficial, are better suited for taxpayer funding than ratepayer funding.” 

It also pointed to a “state-administered grant program for school infrastructure improvements,” and energy efficiency programs, finding, “Despite increasing investment, many of the programs funded today are not cost-effective and do not primarily focus on cutting energy use.”

The recommendations align with concerns raised by some state lawmakers — especially Republicans, about inequitable energy costs.

“It’s no secret that the benefits of wind and solar energy are not equally enjoyed in some communities,” said California Senate Utility, Energy and Communications Vice Chair Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, in an earlier interview with The Center Square on solar payments. “It’s time for energy resources, renewable or not, to stand independently without offsetting costs by adding more fees and relying heavily on taxpayers’ support.”

A California store developed a unique security system to stop the brazen, heartless thieves that have been breaking in recently, causing damage and harm to the business.

Roman Gonzales – the owner of Fresno-based DripOnDrip – was heartbroken when a group of robbers broke into his old shoe store in Nov. 2023, looting arms full of merch.

So he implemented a simple — yet fool-proof plan — to stop his merchandise from getting into the hands of the unwanted, late-night guests.

Instead of locking the store up with military-grade mechanisms, Gonzales clears out the store’s display floor each night and moves the empty, open cash registers to the front of the store in view from outside.

On Dec. 30, two white sedans pulled up to the front of the store just after 4 a.m., as one of the drivers rammed through the storefront, creating a hole for several masked and hooded menaces to run inside.

Security cameras throughout the store recorded the brazen robbery and captured unidentified raiders’ shock when they discovered there was nothing for them to steal, according to video obtained by KSEE.

Gonzales ridiculed the attempted thieves’ thoughtless actions for destroying his storefront.

“If they would have looked through the window, they would have saved themselves some time and energy,” the store owner told the outlet. “They would have noticed that there is nothing here on the floor for them to take.”

Gonzales intentionally leaves out a wall display of right-footed shoes.

“There’s no value once you take this shoe. I mean, you can’t just buy a left-foot shoe online either. So you’re not going to be able to use that item or even resell it. It’s just pointless,” Gonzales added.

The thieves did snatch a few backpacks that had been laying around and two of the valueless right-footed shoes.

Although Monday’s break-in wasn’t the first time Gonzales’ store was destroyed by thieves, he still hasn’t gotten used to it.

“Seeing the building that you’re working out of almost every day…just be damaged. It’s shocking,” he said.

An alarm was triggered by the thieves, alerting security at the River Park shopping center as agents immediately responded to the store.

By the time Gonzales arrived at 6 a.m., the store had been boarded up.

The gracious owner credited the complex security’s quick response as their presence made him feel safe enough to continue operating in the area, the outlet reported.

Additional security would be implemented to patrol the shopping center overnight, River Park confirmed to KSEE.

Safety poles have been considered to be placed in front of Gonzales’ store to stop cars from driving on the sidewalks.

It was another cold, cloudy morning to ring the new year. Clouds have returned to the region thanks to a storm system passing across the northern Sacramento Valley. 

The first few days of 2025 will remain dry for many before another storm system arrives by Friday. 

Friday’s system may be the last for the next week as a drier pattern returns for the first part of January. 

New Year’s Day weather forecast

A weak storm system is bringing more rain to Northern California’s North Coast and northern Sacramento Valley on New Year’s Day, while Sacramento starts 2025 mainly dry.

Clouds became more widespread on New Year’s Day as a storm system passed north of Sacramento. This system will bring enough for a few light showers across the Sierra and foothills, but for the valley, many stay dry. 

Some in and around Sacramento may get a few showers through the early evening. Yet, amounts will be less than a tenth of an inch. 

Our current weather pattern continues to deliver cold nights and mornings to the valley. Thanks to recent rain, some patchy to dense fog will be possible in the Valley in the next few days. Visibility could be reduced to a quarter of a mile or less. 

Many will drop back into the 30s by early Thursday before highs climb back to the 50s by the afternoon. 

When is the next time it will rain in Northern California?

Thursday stays quiet as clouds linger and the afternoon stays dry. By Thursday night, our next storm system approaches the North Coast, bringing more rain to the valley and snow to the Sierra.

In the valley, rain chances start Friday morning. Between 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. rain becomes more widespread as it moves further south. 

Showers begin across the Sierra in the morning becoming heavier by the afternoon. Snow levels will start above 8,000 feet at first then drop to 5,500 feet by Friday afternoon.

Snow will impact drivers over mountain passes from the afternoon through the early evening. Expect travel delays, chain controls, and slick conditions. 

We are expecting our heaviest rain around 1 p.m. clearing out by 3 p.m. in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley. Once the cold front sweeps across, our storm is over and we may see more sunshine by the early evening. 

Light showers linger across the foothills and Sierra through early Saturday but will stay light. 

Saturday we clear out with mostly sunny skies likely by afternoon and Sunday will look similar. Dry and cool with highs in the 50s. 

How much rain and snow is expected?

Rain and snow totals will be on the lower side with this incoming storm as it does not stick around for long. 

By Saturday, most in the valley can expect 0.10” to one inch of rain, with our highest totals north of I-80.

In the foothills and Sierra, amounts will also be higher the further north you are of I-80. However, most can expect 0.25” to two inches of precipitation by Saturday morning. 

With snow levels starting high, snow will take a little longer to stick. But once it does, our highest impacts will be over the mountain passes. 

Many spots above 6,000 feet can expect three to six inches of snow by Sunday, with up to eight inches for Sierra peaks. 

Long-range weather forecast for Northern California

After Friday’s storm system, we begin another quiet pattern for the first full week of 2025. Long-range models are keeping Northern California quiet through Jan. 15 as high-pressure rebuilds over the West Coast. 

There may be a few opportunities for some light precipitation over the foothills and Sierra, but generally expect a dry pattern with mild temperatures. 

High pressure starts to move mid-month and it may be enough to let another system sneak in. 

Stay with the CBS Sacramento First Alert Weather team for changes and updates to our weather pattern.