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“The cost of electricity has risen to absurd levels.”
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Rooftop solar is no longer a niche option for San Diego households. San Diego Gas & Electric has said that over 350,000 residential customers now generate their own electricity, a milestone that shows how quickly home energy is changing.
Roughly one in four SDG&E residential customers now gets power from rooftop solar, the utility told KPBS. For SDG&E president Scott Crider, the number reflects a broader shift being driven by residents themselves. 
“The energy system is changing because our customers are leading that change,” he said.
According to KPBS, the update arrives as California lawmakers weigh Senate Bill 868, which would simplify approvals for smaller plug-in solar systems. However, at a June hearing before the California Assembly’s Utilities and Energy Committee, SDG&E customer generation manager Sherise Blackwood said the measure could “remove transparency in the power grid and reduce safety.”
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers in your area.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
Under the proposal from state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, households installing plug-in solar would not have to go through the same approval pathway now used for much larger projects, including power plants.
Wiener said, “The cost of electricity has risen to absurd levels, and plug-in solar is an easy way families can lower costs.”
Per KPBS, a 400-watt plug-in solar system could cut yearly electricity bills by about $200 to $450.
Going solar is one of the best ways to lower electricity bills and your home’s polluting impact. Crider said it is the company’s job to help the grid evolve alongside its customers and their desires. 
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Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers that can help you save as much as $10k on installation.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best local options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
“That means building a system that can safely integrate customer-generated energy while continuing to deliver the reliability our customers expect,” he said. “The progress we are making on solar adoption and interconnections is an important part of enabling that future.”
If you’re considering a solar panel system and are curious about the economics, you can explore EnergySage‘s free tools to get quick solar installation estimates and compare quotes.
According to KPBS, SDG&E said a typical customer can complete the solar project process in about three days, as the utility works to reduce delays and make the experience less uncertain.
With EnergySage‘s help, the average person can save on solar purchases and installations. Its marketplace is designed to help people compare installer quotes side by side rather than navigate the process blindly.
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
You can also use EnergySage’s solar map, which shows the average cost of a home solar panel system on a state-by-state level, along with details on solar panel incentives for each state. Together, those resources can help people get the best price for rooftop solar panels and access available incentives.
Adding battery storage to a solar setup is also a great option. It can protect your home during outages and potentially add to any financial savings from a solar setup. It can also help households make more use of the power they generate themselves instead of sending it back to the grid. If you want to learn more, explore EnergySage‘s free tools for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
“Our priority is ensuring that any technology operating on or near the electric system meets strong safety standards that protect customers, line workers, and the public,” SDG&E spokesman Anthony Wagner said, per KPBS.
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© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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