Solar Opposition is again on the move. The utilities are lobbying and influencing the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and the governor.
The utilities’ new plan for Net Metering 3 slashes how much homeowners get paid for their solar production by 80%. They are also proposing raising monthly charges from $20 to $60.
The utilities claim solar owners don’t pay their fair share of grid maintenance costs and that non-solar customers are paying more. They also say that only wealthy people can afford to buy solar, which is not true. With the excellent loans available, the majority of solar owners are the middle income group. The loan payment is usually lower than their electric bill, and they no longer have an electric bill. Seniors are on fixed incomes and they like to have fixed expenses.
The higher income homeowners can afford to pay their electric bills, and often do not like the looks of solar panels on their homes.
The Solar Industry claims these changes will raise prices and discourage people from buying solar and put thousands of solar installers out of work. Some estimates of solar employees in California are at 80,000. Californians love their solar, and they are willing to pay thousands of dollars to buy a solar system, producing energy in their own home, and sending it to the utilities. For once, it is not just the rich investors that get to be a part of the production. The extra energy produced is shared with their neighbors. Everyday people are able to be a part of the success of this industry.
January 13th, 30,000 solar supporters gathered in San Francisco and Los Angeles to protest changes proposed by utilities. They came from all over the state to fight for their jobs, and for affordable clean energy. California has been a leader in the Solar Industry, but is constantly under attack by the utilities. The rally lasted three hours, with many speakers. This campaign is also being supported by 600 other non-profit organizations, cities, schools, businesses, and community leaders. Former Governor Schwarzenegger published an opinion article in the New York Times, and actors Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo expressed their support on Twitter.
The CPUC was scheduled to vote on the new proposal on January 27th, but it appears they have pushed the vote back. The CPUC has a new president as of 2022, and there are another five seats on the board which need to be filled.
Bernadette Del Charro, executive director of the California Solar and Storage Association, thinks the proposal is so bad that it will not hold. “It is unprecedented, the shakeup of the leadership of this commission is right at the five yard line of one of the biggest decisions they have made this decade,” she said.
The solar industry thinks the utilities are being motivated by greed, and that they don’t care about California’s goal to be energy efficient. Governor Newsom appoints the members of CPUC, and after reviewing this plan, he says he feels that they have more work to do.
Bahram and Pey Shadzi of Cosmic Solar & Roofing, our local Vista solar company, attended the rally in Los Angeles. Pey Shadzi, Operations Manager, said it was very inspiring to see 1500 people gather on a workday and chant, SAVE OUR SOLAR JOBS, and STOP THE SOLAR TAX. People that drove by were all honking.
“Galvanizing all the people together makes a difference. It brings the subject up to the forefront and shows what a hot button issue this is,” Pey said.
SDG&E has refrained from commenting until the CPUC has made a final decision. January 27th is CPUC’s next meeting and they will be receiving thousands of calls from solar supporters. CALSSA is also encouraging people to contact Governor Newsom’s office in support of keeping solar affordable for everyday Californians.
