Court agrees to hear lawsuit against NEM3 rooftop solar decision

Today, the State Court of Appeal in San Francisco agreed to hear a lawsuit appealing the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)’s December 2022 “NEM3” decision to eviscerate the state’s rooftop solar program. The lawsuit, filed by three nonprofit organizations, outlines several ways in which the CPUC’s decision violates both the law and their own rules, and argues that the CPUC’s …

Proposed Utility Tax would increase electricity bills for millions, undermine rooftop solar, and discourage conservation

Summary At the direction of the California State Legislature, the utilities and some aligned organizations are proposing to charge residential ratepayers a Utility Tax of $400 to $1,500 per year—three to twelve times the national average. This mandatory Utility Tax would increase electricity bills on millions for working Californians who live in apartments, condos, and small homes, have rooftop solar, …

CPUC proposes to block rooftop solar for renters, farms, and schools

For years, the utilities have unsuccessfully tried to block homeowners from making their own solar energy. Now they are working to block rooftop solar for California renters, schools, and farmers. We are making a final push to defend their solar rights in the face of a disastrous, utility-backed proposal from the CA Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). You can help! Thousands …

State agency proposal threatens consumer warranties for solar and batteries

The state Contractor Licensing Board (CSLB) has proposed a utility-backed proposal that could threaten the warranties on many people’s solar and battery systems. Overall, their proposal would make it more difficult and expensive for consumers to install and repair solar-powered batteries. What is being proposed The Contractors State Licensing Board (CSLB) has proposed prohibiting licensed solar contractors from doing the …

Six tips for buying a solar-powered battery

Thinking of getting a solar-powered battery for your home or business to protect you from the next power outage? Here’s six tips to help you figure it all out, and here’s our Solar-Powered Batteries Webinar for a deeper dive. Solar-powered batteries can let you keep — and use — all of your solar energy Depending on its size, a battery …

Thanks to you, more than 140 cities are cutting solar red tape

This winter, thousands of solar users successfully pushed their local governments to streamline their solar permitting process, helping to make it easier for their neighbors to go solar. See if your city or county has taken the first step. If you don’t see them on the list, you can use these resources to nudge them to do so. The problem we …

Frequently asked questions about changes to California’s rooftop solar rules (aka “NEM3”)

Defying overwhelming public opposition, state officials voted in late 2022 to make drastic changes to California’s rooftop solar rules (called “net energy metering”). The decision by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will make it much more expensive to get rooftop solar starting in mid-April 2023. The decision mostly affects those who do not yet have solar, but can affect …