How — and even when — you use your air conditioning to weather the 100-degree heat today can get you hot under the collar when you open next month’s PG&E bill.

In the San Joaquin Valley air conditioning makes up the lion’s share of summer energy consumption. That means the switch to time-of-use rate plans pushed by the California Public Utilities Commission to help the state avoid electricity shortages this summer during peak times can led to higher PG&E bills.

New rate plans increase the price of electricity during peak hours from 4 to 9 p.m. Off-peak hours from 9 p.m. to 4 p.m. have lower rates. The peak pricing applies to use Monday through Friday and only a few holidays.

If you don’t manage — essentially reduce — electricity use during peak hours you can see a jump in your PG&E based on comparable usage from last summer.

Peak power demands during heat waves and extremely hot days such as the 103-degree high forecast for Wednesday pushed available supplies to the limit last summer in California

Even without a blistering heat wave during peak use hours this summer between 3 and 9 p.m. weekdays, models cited by the California Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission, and the California Independent System Operator show the Golden State has a solid chance of coming up short 1,700 megawatts this summer.

Based on historic use, power may need to be cut to 1.3 million California households. That translates roughly to 4 million people or a tenth of all Californians possibly being without electricity.

The situation was not created by PG&E or other power providers.

Instead, it is by the inability for the regulatory mandated shift to green power to keep up with demand.

The three agencies have noted if wildfires, a heat wave, drought conditions, smoky/cloudy skies, and winds all align the shortfall could easily hit 5,000 megawatts. That translates into 3.75 million homes.

The rates charged are higher during the peak period in an effort to encourage consumers to shift their electric load to off-peak hours when electricity is cheaper.

Regulations dictate 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2045 with the attached benchmark of being 60 percent by 2030.

The state has pushed hard to force the plug to be pulled on additional carbon-based power as well as nuclear power to the tune of 6,000 megawatts by 2025.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com