Solar Choice

This calculator provides the estimated additional monthly cost for participating in PG&E’s Solar Choice program. You’ll be able to see the estimated premium that you would pay based on your type of service and monthly electric usage. It’s helpful to have a PG&E energy statement available to figure out your monthly usage.

Rates are subject to change annually and as approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

DISCLAIMER: The estimated additional cost per month is for illustrative purposes only and PG&E cannot guarantee the accuracy of the estimated cost. Your additional monthly cost for participating in PG&E's Solar Choice will vary based on your actual electric usage. The estimated additional cost per month does not include other fees such as local utility user taxes, certain other taxes, surcharges, and fees. PG&E's Solar Choice rate per kWh has been rounded to two decimal places for presentation purposes. See electric rate schedule E-GT for complete rates.

20-Year Rate Forecast

Download the 20-year rate forecast (PDF, 190 KB) for the Solar Choice program.

The 20-year forecast of credits and charges shown here are based on a methodology ordered by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for use by the state’s three large investor-owned utilities. The forecasts are provided to illustrate potential future changes to the credits and charges to help you evaluate your intended participation in PG&E’s Solar Choice or Regional Solar Choice program. As the CPUC acknowledged in D.16-05-006 (PDF, 588 KB), an estimate of GTSR credits and charges for 20 years (or even 5 to 10 years) is challenging and unlikely to be accurate. Moreover, the 20-year forecasts shown here are not necessarily representative of PG&E-specific forecasts of rate components. PG&E can neither predict nor guarantee any actual cost savings or increases due to changes to these credits and charges, and such changes will affect actual costs. Please contact PG&E for more information about this forecast.

20-Year Rate Forecast

DISCLAIMER: This CPUC-approved forecast may result in inaccurate results.

The 20-year forecast of credits and charges shown here are based on a prescribed forecast methodology ordered by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for use by the state’s three large investor-owned utilities and is based on a combination of a rolling five-year escalation rate and an escalation rate using a Consumer Price Index (CPI).* The forecasts are provided to illustrate potential future changes to the credits and charges to help you evaluate your intended participation in PG&E’s Solar Choice or Regional Renewable Choice program. As the CPUC acknowledged in D.16-05-006 (PDF, 588 KB), an estimate of GTSR credits and charges for 20 years (or even 5 to 10 years) is challenging and unlikely to be accurate. Moreover, the 20-year forecasts shown here are not necessarily representative of PG&E-specific forecasts of rate components. PG&E can neither predict nor guarantee any actual cost savings or increases due to changes to these credits and charges, and such changes will affect actual costs. Please contact PG&E for more information about this forecast.

* Specifically, a rolling five year rate escalation was applied to the GTSR component rates that had historical values and the CPI index was applied to GTSR component rates where no historical information was available.

Detailed historical and current rate information

Want to understand how we arrive at your Solar Choice rate? The table below provides details for the various components that comprise your rate for the PG&E's Solar Choice and the Regional Renewable Choice programs.

• Information for the current program year is provided, as well as historical values, where available.
• PG&E's Solar Choice rates are applied on a per kWh basis to either 50 percent or 100 percent of your usage, depending on your participation level. Regional Renewable Choice rates are applied on a per kWh basis to the calendar month output of your subscribed portion of a Regional Renewable Choice project. To understand more about the differences between these programs, please read more about Solar Choice programs for your home.
• The Power Change Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) value differs by vintage year. Vintage year is based on the date that you begin service on PG&E’s Solar Choice program. If you begin service in the first six months of the calendar year (e.g., 2017), you are assigned the prior year’s vintage (i.e., 2016). If you begin service on or after July 1, you are assigned the vintage for the current year (2017 in this example). Historical values are provided for reference.
• Bill Charge and Credit Descriptions can be found below the table.

Open the table below for a detailed view

*This Solar Charge does not apply to Regional Solar Choice. Regional Solar Choice customers will will be billed separately from the solar developer for their subscribed portion of the project according to the terms of their Customer-Developer Agreement.

Open the table below for a detailed view

PG&E's Solar Choice and Regional Renewable Choice bill charge and credit descriptions

The Solar Charge is the cost of the renewable power. This is calculated as the weighted average cost of the resources serving the program. (This applies only to PG&E's Solar Choice program.)

The Program Charge is set to fund the program’s marketing and administration costs, provide a credit for the positive value that solar provides to the grid, as well as cover additional energy-related costs to ensure that non-participating customers do not fund the program.

This includes:

• Costs associated with integrating the new renewable resources with the grid (Renewables Integration Charge). No value has yet been approved by the CPUC for this.
• State-level grid-management costs (California Independent System Operator, CAISO)
• Costs for registering, tracking and retiring Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) in the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System (WREGIS)
• Resource Adequacy (RA) costs to ensure that there are sufficient generating resources available for anticipated load, locally and on a system basis
• A credit for the positive value that solar provides in delivering energy to the grid during peak hours (Solar Value Adjustment)
• Marketing and administration costs

The Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA) is a CPUC-approved figure that ensures stranded generation costs are not shifted to non-participating customers when you switch to PG&E’s Solar Choice program.

The Generation Credit is a credit equal to the average generation rate for your customer class. This credit is to recognize that your renewable energy purchase displaces the charges for the generation portfolio associated with your base rate.