California regulators should amend new rooftop solar plans to make solar power more affordable for low-income communities. that meeting Thursday. The Commission’s plan will significantly reduce the credits that new solar users get from sharing their excess solar energy with the grid.
More than 100 groups have asked the Commission to delay the implementation of the plan until the issues raised at the Commission can be resolved. Administrative Appeal for Rehearing By the Center for Biodiversity, Protect Our Communities Foundation, Environmental Working Group in January.
In addition to testifying at a conference beginning at 11:00 a.m., the group letter On Thursday, he urged Commissioner Alice Reynolds to postpone and revise the regulator’s net metering plan, which was approved in December.
“There is still time to settle this without going to court,” said Roger Lynn, an attorney at the Center for Biodiversity. difficult for people to buy solar power, which is illegal The Commission needs to ensure that everyone can benefit from local clean energy generation rather than installing unnecessary roadblocks. Under this plan, the gap between those who can afford solar power and those who cannot will widen.”
The new plans “make solar power unaffordable for millions of workers, businesses, churches, schools, farms, and community service agencies,” the group’s letter said. increase. Go fossil-free and expand the use of local, clean and affordable energy generation. “
new center report It explains the many benefits of rooftop solar and net metering and why for-profit utility companies are looking to phase out the program.
The commission’s latest plan eliminates the hefty solar tax, but cuts the rewards rooftop solar customers get for putting unused electricity back into the grid. This threatens the growing rooftop solar market by putting affordable, resilient, renewable energy out of reach for working-class Californians.
In their letter, the group said the commission did not consider all the benefits of rooftop solar and ignored its own rules. Local economic benefits include significant reductions in greenhouse gases and other air pollution, new jobs, and more.
Instead, regulators have relied on avoided costs to determine the value of rooftop solar. This means that new rooftop solar customers receive a portion of the value of the additional power they generate and send it back to the grid.
“For the benefit of the working community and California’s clean energy goals, we ask the CPUC to carefully reconsider the issues raised in the appeal before implementing sweeping changes that undermine California’s rooftop solar program.” I will,” the letter said.
Information from the Center for Biodiversity