I live just outside the Sacramento area. Talking to a coworker, I was surprised to learn that SMUD's (Sac area utility) highest "tier" rate was just under PG&E

I live just outside the Sacramento area. Talking to a coworker, I was surprised to learn that SMUD's (Sac area utility) highest "tier" rate was just under PG&E's (most of the rest of CA) lowest "tier" rate. Once you use your "quota" of electricity (easy to do with kids), you move out of tier 1 base pricing ($0.18/kwh for PG&E) into tier 2, which is currently $0.25/kwh, then tier 3, then tier 4 (which I think is in the $0.35 to $0.40 range per kwh). So, putting in at least a partial system is a no brainer. If you look on the price map in the article, there is a pale colored blob around Sacramento, which reflects that SMUD's prices are a great deal less than PG&E's. I don't know that solar makes sense if you are on SMUD. During Spring break (nice sunny but not hot) weather, we generated a surplus (although we would not have if it were cloudy). I'm looking forward to being able to use the A/C this summer w/out getting a $300 to $400 electric bill.