SACRAMENTO — Moments ago, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted unanimously to adopt new rules for how residential rooftop solar customers, schools, churches, farms, and businesses will be compensated for the electricity they deliver back to the grid.
Unfortunately, pressure from corporate utilities resulted in a proposal that would slash the rate paid to these solar energy providers by about 75 percent.
In response, The Climate Center Energy Program Manager Woody Hastings said:
“California needs more solar power — not less. Just as more middle- and lower-income Californians are putting solar panels on their rooftops, the new rules adopted by the CPUC today threaten to slow the growth of clean energy across the state. We strongly encourage the CPUC to prioritize equity and affordability so that all Californians have the opportunity to go solar.
“Investment in small-scale solar must also be paired with policies to help home and business owners take advantage of technological breakthroughs in battery storage. The batteries in electric vehicles, for example, can be used to store excess energy from rooftop solar arrays, avoid blackouts at home, and send power back to the grid. With the right policies in place, California can build a 21st-century grid that is clean, affordable, reliable, and safe for everyone.”
Because thousands of people spoke up after the last CPUC proposal was released in late 2021, this new policy would apply to those who seek to install solar power at their homes after April 2023, and it won’t impact existing customers.
The full CPUC regulations are available here. Additional detail on the potential for electric vehicles to be deployed as energy storage solutions is here.
ENDS
Contact: Ryan Schleeter, Communications Director, The Climate Center: ryan@theclimatecenter.org, (415) 342-2386
About The Climate Center:
The Climate Center is a climate and energy policy nonprofit working to rapidly reduce climate pollution at scale, starting in California. We are a think-tank, do-tank working to turn bold ideas into action for a climate-safe future. Our flagship Climate-Safe California campaign is a unique and comprehensive effort to make California the first state in the nation to reach carbon negative. www.theclimatecenter.org
