Save California Solar
Making rooftop solar accessible and affordable for all Californians
California’s abundant sunlight has made it a natural market for the growth of solar energy. Even so, 70 percent of California voters think the state could be doing more with solar, and many individuals and businesses need rate structures that make it cost-effective for them to make the investment in California’s future.
With the right policies in place, rooftop solar with storage can help working-class Californians reduce their energy costs, save money, and maintain access to power during climate-fueled heatwaves, wildfires, and other disasters. Today, nearly half of the state’s solar market is working- and middle-class families because of the cost benefits and high performance of solar in California.
In fact, the average California energy user could save around $295 per year by switching to solar. The key is what’s known as net metering. When a homeowner or business produces extra energy, they can sell it back to the grid. The rate at which they’re compensated can make a difference between solar being affordable or inaccessible.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has the power to accelerate solar adoption in the state or hold it back. Along with investor-owned utilities, they’ve proposed rate structures that would slow solar adoption in California at a time when we need more solar and storage to reduce climate pollution, clean the air, and keep the lights on. So far, Californians have fought back against these changes successfully, but utilities like PG&E are working to maintain their monopoly on the energy market and keep ratepayers trapped into paying their prices.
Californians must continue fighting back against changes that are good for utilities but not everyday people. In February 2022, the proposed rules were tabled, but we can expect the fight to continue. The Climate Center is working alongside communities across the state for equitable policies and a level playing field that make solar affordable for all.
