Vote Solar delivers 130,000-strong petition in support of California net metering

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Vote Solar delivering thousands of petition responses late last week. Image: VoteSolar.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has received a petition with more than 130,000 signatures calling on it not to enact controversial proposals to reform net metering in the state.

The petition, organised by pro-solar coalition Vote Solar, was delivered last week and is claimed to comprise the largest number of public comments recorded by the CPUC on any issue.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Consumer, environmental, public health and business organisations contributed towards the petition, which Vote Solar said was the result of a “growing outcry” from Californians in response to proposals put forward by state-owned utilities PG&S, SCE and SDG&E to end California’s net metering policy and add fees to new solar installations.

Vote Solar said the policies would make solar “two to three times more expensive” than it currently is. “If approved, the proposals would halt consumer solar adoption and would put local jobs, public health benefits and climate progress at risk”, the organisation said.

The petition comes on the back of a poll of Californians last month which revealed that 80% of them rejected a repeal of net metering and just over a month after governor Jerry Brown signed legislation mandating the state to meet half of its total energy demand from renewable sources by 2030.

Dan Jacobson, programme director at the Environment California Research & Policy Center, said that the petition showed that solar was a “top priority” for Californians.

“Eliminating the primary policy that has made California the number one solar state in the country would fly in the face of public opinion, our newly minted 50% renewables law, and California’s ability to be a strong leader at the United Nations climate change summit in Paris next month,” he added.

Jacobson’s sentiments were echoed by Strela Cervas, co-director at the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA), who said that weakening rooftop solar initiatives would “only give utilities the power to build more dirty energy”.

“CEJA strongly urges the California Public Utilities Commission to continue to make net metering available to build upon California’s thriving rooftop solar industry that will help more low-income families and communities of color participate in and benefit from a growing equitable energy economy for all Californians,” Cervas said.

21 May 2024
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 21-22 May 2024, will be our third PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2025 and beyond.
8 October 2024
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 8-9 October 2024 is our second PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The event in 2023 was a sell out success and 2024 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
April 10, 2024
Dallas, Texas USA
Solar Media Events
April 17, 2024
Lisbon, Portugal
Solar Media Events
May 1, 2024
Dallas, Texas
Solar Media Events
May 21, 2024
Napa, USA