The U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal tariffs on imports from major U.S. trade partners in February, and California officials and energy experts explained how the sweeping change could impact local consumers.
Although this decision will have national implications, experts told The Sacramento Bee that if these tariffs "remain gone," then homeowners could soon see a reduction in energy costs depending on their area and utility company.Â
Andrew Campbell, executive director of University of California, Berkeley's Energy Institute at Haas, said the tariffs have been a significant driver of higher costs for clean energy projects in California.Â
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On a large scale, solar panels are among the cheapest ways to produce energy. When paired with battery storage, they can help stabilize entire grids and reduce energy costs for local ratepayers.
"If the tariffs remain gone, then that would cause a little bit of a reduction in the cost of new solar projects, and I would expect that that cost savings would generally come to consumers in California," Campbell said.
Although this ruling will likely affect manufacturing costs, Campbell noted that there is still more that can be done. Last year, federal tariffs were increased on imported steel and aluminum.
Because those tariffs are not impacted by the Supreme Court's ruling, they are likely to remain a driver of higher energy costs.
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"A large number of things in the utility system involve steel and aluminum, so those tariffs have a widespread impact," Campbell said.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding federal policies, California continues to stand firm on its aggressive clean energy adoption goals.
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Save $1,000 this year 💸 "There are going to be more solar, wind, and battery projects built in California year after year, so each one of those will be cheaper without the tariffs in place," Campbell continued.
Regardless of whether you live in a state already progressing towards a clean energy future or one that has a ways to go, you can take control of your power bills and fuel consumption by generating your own energy. EnergySage has free tools and all the information you need to get started with a solar panel array at home.
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