Dumpng your old inefficient Fridg

One needs to remember that many of the incentives from the utilities, come from raising rates on other utility users. Get an electric rebate from the electric company, they often pay for it by charging more to everyone for electricity. This is good up to a point. The breaking point can easily be seen when Al Moneybags in his McMansion gets huge money for energy saving devices, but still uses much more energy than his poorer neighbors. In San Diago they decided Al no longer gets extra money to use solar to heat his huge private pool in the back yard, that his poorer neighbors pay for. Al does still get federal money to heat his pool from the countries income taxes, but they aren't just from the poor guy in the neighborhood trying to make ends meet. One solution is to enforce regulations that these energy hogs are required to have a certain level of equipment, direct regulation. Certainly too much of a good idea, can have bad effects.

 

While I agree to a point, that subsidizing large users encourages continued inefficincies can in the micro be anachronistic, but in the macro it makes sense. As has been pointed out, large (affluent) wasters of energy will continue to do so because they can afford to. By encouraging (subsidizing) them it does have some net positive benefit IMHO. The first is that the PV arrays do decrease thier par titular impact however slightly. By seeing a cause and effect on thier electric bill (by seeing what the PV produces vs what they use in total) may encourage them to reduce consumption in the net.

The secondary benefit is that early adopters have a way of pushing the technology such that if Richy Rich does it, then maybe the technology is not just for granola eating greenies. The same argument was made when Prius's came on the market with a tax credit. The people buyinghe early Prius's could probably afford them with out the credit, but they sered to mainstream a technology that clearly has a large public benefit.

So, as has been said, if we live in a world of unlevel playing field in terms of energy, a small subsidy to alternatives is, in the net, a good thing.

Icarus

 

Poor guy can learn to conserve energy, and then have nothing to complain about.

Rich guy can pay 20 - 50 cents/kwh for his lifestyle.

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Let's take the idea of solar water heaters, which is one that some have decided enough is enough and pool heaters won't get an extra bump, which I mentioned in my post. These get a interest tax deduction on that pool and water heater when financed, and 30% federal deduction for your pool water heater. There are not people making minimum wage thinking I really wish the state of california would help me use less energy when heating my pool. The new california regs cap additional money to $1500. But some want everything paid for, tripple dips for the rich. Now say this money instead got utilities to put in combined cycle natural gas power plants which are 50% more efficient than the old steam plants and much more compatible with adding renewables? This might even lower utility bills in the long run for everyone, instead of give always for the richest. The amount robbed from the poor and given to the rich should be metered by effects. Do we really need the interest tax deduction to go up to $100M homes, and then pay them to put in solar water heaters in their pools?
Bill heats up talk of solar water systems - Los Angeles Times
That 80% subsidy in the 80s really was much too high, when most went to heat pools, and contractors added costs to make the subsidies bigger. That $150 he washer after rebates is also too much of a give away, but it can not be abused as much.

The prius tax credit was a limited credit. No one bought 1000 to get more tax credits. Many of the limitless give aways allow people to dip multiple times. So we get ex and current politicians getting money for a start up, then money to get people to buy the product, and they then pocket their investment in the company.

My point is there is a limit. You have to agree right that Joe hourly should not have to pay $0.50/kwh in order to subsidies richy rich putting pannels on his home for free and paying nothing for electricity. There is a point where maybe the utilities could actually provide the energy and the regulators not over charge the little guy.

 

Well it was a little ridiculous. I see the program is over now <darn>. But I was apparently one of the 62,000.
I can assure you amount was $350 for a Tier III (most efficient). I won on that deal, but you know they get my income taxes every year so