Matthew Freedman

Clean energy and consumer advocate trying to avoid a dystopic future. Raised in New England/NYC. SF Bay Area transplant since 2000. Always up for an adventure.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@Sharrison_WFAE I'm guessing that this data doesn't include voters without ID who left before "trying" to vote but after being told that they needed ID. I volunteered as a poll observer in NC and interacted with people who declined to enter the polling station due to lack of proper ID.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@JesseJenkins Just returned from 2 weeks in North Carolina doing voter protection/canvassing. We urged everyone to vote early (in person) to avoid long lines and possible registration issues on E-Day. NC has 16 days of early voting. Frustrating that so many people waited.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@leahstokes I've been in North Carolina for the past 10 days volunteering on the campaign. Lots of enthusiasm and hope that this state will turn blue for Kamala. Local party activists are energized!

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@gizmoroot Info on the rally location was emailed yesterday to everyone who signed up. Not a mystery. Venue was packed. I was there.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@leahstokes @AsmCottie The bill would still fund any application submitted by July 1, 2024 (which was the last funding application deadline). If Tustin previously applied (and was awarded) funds, their award would not be affected.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

https://t.co/wnQMdtnmws

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

The California PUC is poised to reject an innovative community solar program that prioritizes paired energy storage, prices output based on grid value, and provides an alternative to rooftop solar for renters, low-income families, and new homes. A big missed opportunity.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@gspeng @MichaelWWara Low-income SMUD customers receive a $10 discount from the standard residential fixed charge which is currently $24.15/month and is scheduled to rise to $26.20 by mid-2025.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@Sammy_Roth @wesventeicher Headline is misleading. Recent rate hikes, especially by PG&E, are unrelated to the proposed fixed charge. Legislators should be mad about rate hikes, which are driven by utility spending (not rate design), and take meaningful actions to constrain spending and profits.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@MichaelWWara @tau18analytics Monthly reports are filed by the three IOUs in R.18-07-005. You can search the CPUC docket card and find all the reports submitted to date. Here's an example of PG&E's latest report (December 2023): https://t.co/JTKS24Msk5

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@tau18analytics @MichaelWWara According to November 2023 filings by the three major IOUs, about 2.4 million of their customers have total arrearages of about $1.8 billion.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@tau18analytics @MichaelWWara More analysis is needed on arrearage trends but there is little doubt that rising rates/bills are creating greater affordability challenges. There was some arrearage relief provided by the Legislature but obtaining additional state money for this purpose will be challenging.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@powervoice4 @MichaelWWara The claim that TURN is "controlled" by PG&E's union is laughable. TURN regularly opposes positions taken by PG&E's unions in CPUC proceedings and at the Legislature. TURN is also the most active independent advocate opposing PG&E's ongoing requests for rate increases.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@EggersMatt @californiapuc @GavinNewsom The completely non-secret CPUC page describing the proceeding and providing links to key documents can be found here: https://t.co/Ttr4hA78iL

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@EggersMatt @californiapuc @GavinNewsom There is nothing secret about the consideration of new residential fixed charges at the CPUC. The proceeding was opened in July 2022, 80 parties are participating, and there have been several rounds of public testimony/comments/briefing. The Chronicle op-ed is misleading.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@duncancampbell One problem with this approach for CA IOUs is that the residential rates are very different for CARE (low-income) and non-CARE customers. There's a 30-35% discount for CARE and ~30% of residential customers are on CARE. No residential customer actually pays the average rate.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@duncancampbell Also worth noting that the res average rate is a weighted average of the discounted CARE/FERA rates and the non-CARE rates. It's best to show non-CARE res rates separately. For 2021, the bundled non-CARE SDG&E res rate was 34.5 cents/kWh. In 2023, the rate is 46.6 cents/kWh.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@duncancampbell My data comes from discovery in CPUC proceedings where we ask each major IOU to provide granular breakdowns of historic retail rates by customer class and rate component. Not proprietary or confidential. Happy to share.

[Matthew Freedman @freed_man]

@duncancampbell SDG&E residential delivery charges were not 80% of the total residential rate in 2021. Total avg res rate was 30.5 cents/kWh, of which Gen was 11.1 cents, Distribution was 10.2 cents, and Transmission was 6.4 cents. Did you assign some of the generation costs to "delivery"?