Why Some Californians Are Opting to Live Off the Grid

Frustrated by rising home prices, hefty electricity bills, and blackouts and wildfires caused by failing utilities, a growing number of Californians are migrating away from major cities to live off the grid. A fully off-grid home setup in California can cost anywhere from $35,000 to $100,000, and a recent decline in solar and battery costs is making it an even more affordable option for residents, particularly those priced out of a supercharged housing market.

The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) predicts that by 2031, most California homeowners will ditch city living for off the grid lifestyles, a trend which could also catch on in the Northeast over the coming decades, The New York Times reports.

Most current off-grid systems rely heavily on solar panels because their cost has fallen to less than $4 a watt from about $11.40 a watt in 2000, not including state and federal incentives, according to the California Solar and Storage Association. Lithium-ion batteries weighing as little as 30 pounds, requiring minimal maintenance and costing $10,000 to $20,000 have replaced banks of lead acid batteries that used to cost tens of thousands of dollars, could weigh thousands of pounds and needed regular upkeep. 

Off-grid systems are particularly attractive to people building new homes. That’s because installing a 125- to 300-foot overhead power line to a new home costs about $20,000, according to the California Public Utilities Commission. In places where lines have to be buried, installation runs about $78,000 for 100 feet.

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