<instructions>Your goal is to analyze the following comment and estimate how highly it will be upvoted by the Hacker News community.</instructions><comment><author>hbarka</author><text>Companies can keep profit margin flat by increasing operating expenses such as salary. For PG&amp;amp;E it looks immoral.&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.ewg.org&amp;#x2F;news-insights&amp;#x2F;news-release&amp;#x2F;2022&amp;#x2F;10&amp;#x2F;ratepayers-struggle-pay-pge-energy-bills-ceo-rakes-over-190&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.ewg.org&amp;#x2F;news-insights&amp;#x2F;news-release&amp;#x2F;2022&amp;#x2F;10&amp;#x2F;ratep...&lt;/a&gt;</text><parent_chain><item><author>mdorazio</author><text>Over the last 8 quarters their average profit margin is a whopping 3.25%. If you think that’s just too high I’m not sure what to tell you.&lt;p&gt;An alternate way to look at the CA rule change is that CA needs more installed storage to shore up the shitty grid, and incentivizing people to install solar alone via net metering isn’t a great idea anymore. Remember that peak power demand is right around and just after sunset.</text></item><item><author>hbarka</author><text>Assuming you are grid-tied, the reduction of electric bills is predicated on net metering, where the utility company gives you (ideally) 1-for-1 credit for the electricity you produce. In California, this was called NEM 1.0 and NEM 2.0. Every few years the California utilities lobby the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to chip away at the NEM program. This year the PUC voted unanimously to cut net energy metering and any new solar owner will fall under the NEM 3.0 rules. Net energy metering is essentially dead in California. In addition there are additional fixed fees customers have to pay. This will disincentivize solar-only installation. If you want fair compensation of what you generate you’ll have to store it and pay yourself.&lt;p&gt;PG&amp;amp;E will find a way to keep their profit margin.&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.npr.org&amp;#x2F;2022&amp;#x2F;12&amp;#x2F;15&amp;#x2F;1142927418&amp;#x2F;california-plans-to-cut-incentives-for-home-solar-worrying-environmentalists&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.npr.org&amp;#x2F;2022&amp;#x2F;12&amp;#x2F;15&amp;#x2F;1142927418&amp;#x2F;california-plans-t...&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain></comment><story><title>Solar panels reduced my electric bill in 2022</title><url>https://mattbruenig.com/2023/01/01/solar-panels-reduced-my-electric-bill-by-2677-in-2022/</url></story>
<instructions>Your goal is to analyze the following comment and estimate how highly it will be upvoted by the Hacker News community.</instructions><comment><author>ericmay</author><text>&amp;gt; Over the last 8 quarters their average profit margin is a whopping 3.25%&lt;p&gt;This is the trade-off you take when you become a quasi-government company. You get a low, but nearly guaranteed profit. Executives still get their bonuses, employees get paid, etc.&lt;p&gt;If they want more variable rates of return then they can drop the public protections and go full private like any other regular company.</text><parent_chain><item><author>mdorazio</author><text>Over the last 8 quarters their average profit margin is a whopping 3.25%. If you think that’s just too high I’m not sure what to tell you.&lt;p&gt;An alternate way to look at the CA rule change is that CA needs more installed storage to shore up the shitty grid, and incentivizing people to install solar alone via net metering isn’t a great idea anymore. Remember that peak power demand is right around and just after sunset.</text></item><item><author>hbarka</author><text>Assuming you are grid-tied, the reduction of electric bills is predicated on net metering, where the utility company gives you (ideally) 1-for-1 credit for the electricity you produce. In California, this was called NEM 1.0 and NEM 2.0. Every few years the California utilities lobby the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to chip away at the NEM program. This year the PUC voted unanimously to cut net energy metering and any new solar owner will fall under the NEM 3.0 rules. Net energy metering is essentially dead in California. In addition there are additional fixed fees customers have to pay. This will disincentivize solar-only installation. If you want fair compensation of what you generate you’ll have to store it and pay yourself.&lt;p&gt;PG&amp;amp;E will find a way to keep their profit margin.&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.npr.org&amp;#x2F;2022&amp;#x2F;12&amp;#x2F;15&amp;#x2F;1142927418&amp;#x2F;california-plans-to-cut-incentives-for-home-solar-worrying-environmentalists&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.npr.org&amp;#x2F;2022&amp;#x2F;12&amp;#x2F;15&amp;#x2F;1142927418&amp;#x2F;california-plans-t...&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain></comment><story><title>Solar panels reduced my electric bill in 2022</title><url>https://mattbruenig.com/2023/01/01/solar-panels-reduced-my-electric-bill-by-2677-in-2022/</url></story>