Utilities like PG&E want to stop California’s solar progress.
Don’t give up your solar power.
ACT NOW
Join us in telling Governor Newsom to stand up to the utilities!
THE ISSUE
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently released a proposed decision on net metering, backed by investor owned utilities, that would dramatically increase the cost of rooftop solar by slashing California's most successful solar program by 75%.
PG&E and other big utilities want to change the rules in their favor in order to eliminate a growing competitor, keep consumers stuck in utility monopolies, and maintain the need for costly and often dangerous transmission lines that are a key driver of utility profits and ratepayer costs.
THE BENEFITS
Keeping California a solar state
California is powered by the sun. Rooftop solar is already on over one million homes, apartments, schools and businesses, making California a leader in the nation. But we still have a long way to go to fill the solar gap and meet our clean energy needs. Californians know that, which is why over 70% of voters think we should be doing more to encourage the use of solar power.
Pulling the plug on solar now shows the rest of the nation that California is turning its back on our clean energy future and our values.
THE BENEFITS
Powering good jobs and small businesses
Rooftop solar employs 77,000 Californians in family-supporting jobs and provides paths for diverse workforces into thriving clean energy careers. Rooftop solar employs more people than the state’s five largest utilities combined. Thousands of small businesses make up most of California’s solar industry and help drive local economic activity. A recent study found a sustained investment in local solar and storage could create 100,000 jobs by 2030, and 374,000 jobs by 2050.
Halting our solar progress hurts jobs and small businesses at a time when California desperately needs more of both.
THE BENEFITS
Savings on clean, reliable energy for more people
Rooftop solar helps people reduce their energy bills and save money. Solar, especially with battery storage, is a consumer’s best defense against spiking energy costs and unpredictable power outages. In fact, working class and middle class neighborhoods are nearly half of the rooftop solar market. A commitment to growing solar would save California ratepayers $120 billion over the next 30 years, the equivalent of $295 per year for the average California ratepayer.
Rolling back the successful net metering program makes energy more expensive for everyone and takes us back to a time when only the rich could afford solar.
THE BENEFITS
Fighting climate change and reducing pollution
California is a solar state and harnessing power from the sun is critical to meeting our ambitious renewable energy goals. Our race against climate change, and an unreliable grid, and toward a clean energy future demand that we move quickly to bring solar everywhere and to everyone. Utilities are unable to get us to the future we deserve fast enough. Utility scale solar is often locally controversial and in conflict with California’s conservation. And more dangerous transmission lines are not what Californians have in mind for our energy future anyways.
California needs clean, local energy and cannot move backwards on solar at a time when our reliable energy and climate needs demand we go forward.