Rooftop solar is on the ropes in California because of a string of reckless decisions made by the CA Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) under pressure from the utilities. In 2024, a group of state legislators proposed a series of bills to fix the situation and get rooftop solar growing again.
These bills were gutted and killed in the legislative process, or vetoed by Gov. Newsom. However, it is significant that a near-supermajority of lawmakers voted to approve a bill that defended the basic solar rights of schools and renters. In addition, lawmakers blocked two other anti-solar proposals. Meanwhile, a growing number of lawmakers began pushing back on the lies that utilities have been spreading about rooftop solar.
While there is no way to sugarcoat the serious challenges facing rooftop solar, it is also the case that solar consumers have more advocates in the Legislature than a year ago.
Let us remember: The utilities have had a government-sanctioned monopoly for more than a century. Your solar is disrupting their monopoly. The utilities won’t give up their power without a fight. But we’re just getting started.
The task for solar customers going forward is to encourage existing pro-solar legislators to keep it up, and persuade more lawmakers to reject the utilities’ lies and stand up for consumers.
Legislature approves bill to restore the solar rights of renters and schools, but blocked by Governor Newsom
In August, the state Legislature approved SB 1374 (Becker), which would have restored the basic right of schools and renters to use the solar energy they produce on their own roof or parking lot.
The bill would have reversed a terrible CA Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) decision that forced these consumers to buy all of their electricity from the utility, even if they had solar panels on their roof.
Homeowners, renters, and schools joined together to fight for this bill, and the Legislature listened despite fierce opposition from utilities. The bill passed with a near supermajority. See how they voted.
Despite this show of support from the Legislature, Governor Newsom vetoed SB 1374, repeating utility lies to justify his decision. This is clearly a set back. However, Governors are not kings. There will be a new Governor in two years.
The next step is to focus on the 76 legislators who stood up for consumers (63% of the Legislature), shore up their support, and bolster their ranks in the coming year. More about SB 1374.
Lawmakers block Solar Tax proposal and protect solar programs for the poor
While the fight for SB 1374 raged in public, pro-solar lawmakers were also pushing back against proposals for a new Solar Tax and other anti-solar proposals.
The latest Solar Tax proposal, like other ones defeated in recent years, would have authorized the state of California to set up a brand-new mechanism to estimate how much energy your panels produce—and tax it. It would have been just like taxing people for hang-drying their clothing or growing their own vegetables.
Fortunately, lawmakers blocked this proposal from advancing. In addition, legislators listened to their constituents and stopped another anti-solar bill.
AB 3121 was a last-minute move, likely steered by utility lobbyists, to eviscerate funding for programs that help low-income people get batteries (SGIP), renters get solar (SOMAH), and schools to use less energy (CalSHAPE). Funding for these programs would have paid for a small, one-time reduction in utility bills that would have been wiped out by the next rate hike. Thankfully, lawmakers refused to advance the bill after a torrent of public outrage.
Opponents pointed out that the alleged bill reduction was just for show, and that a serious effort to lower utility bills would target utility overspending on poles and wires, not solar and efficiency incentives for low-income residents and schools.
Legislators began pushing back against utility lies about rooftop solar
These days, you can’t throw a stone in Sacramento without running into someone repeating the utility lie that your solar is to blame for high electricity rates.
But this year, pro-solar lawmakers started to publicly push back on the lie. This came to a head at a July hearing on SB 1374 in the Assembly Utilities & Energy Committee. After hearing lobbyists lie yet again about rooftop solar, Assemblymembers Laura Friedman, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, and Pilar Schiavo spoke out.
Watch a short video of their remarks below. This is the kind of leadership we should be asking of every legislator!
Pro-consumer champions fought like hell, in the face of tremendous utility pressure
One measure of the strength of a movement is the tenacity and savvy of its leaders and champions. The two dozen authors and co-authors of various pro-solar bills this year worked really hard to advance consumer interests in the face of relentless utility lobbying and lies.
It’s important to remember that most bills don’t pass in their first year. So let’s acknowledge some of the pro-consumer leaders who went above and beyond to stand up for the public interest:
- Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, lead author of AB 1999 to rein in the Big Utility Tax, as well as Sen Brian Jones and Sen Janet Nguyen, who authored similar bills in the Senate (SB 1326 and SB 1314 respectively)
- Asm Gail Pellerin and Asm Dawn Addis, for being among the first lawmakers to sound the alarm about the Utility Tax, and with Asm Irwin, helping to rally other lawmakers to fight.
- Senator Josh Becker, author of SB 1374 to restore solar rights for schools, renters, and farms.
- Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, who is Chair of the powerful Assembly Utilities & Energy Committee. Asm Petrie-Norris helped shepherd through the bills to rein in the Utility Tax and protect the solar rights of schools and renters.
- Senator Scott Wiener, for his ongoing efforts to prevent a Solar Tax from seeing the light of day.
- Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, author of AB 2054 to reduce the revolving door of utility influence at the CPUC.
- Assemblymember Laura Friedman, author of AB 2256 to ensure the CPUC accurately values rooftop solar energy credits.
- Assemblymember Damon Connoly, author of AB 2619, to ban solar taxes and fix the disastrous NEM3 decision.
- Senator Dave Min, author of SB 938 to ban utilities from using ratepayers dollars to lobby the government.
- All the co-authors of any of the bills to rein in the Big Utility Tax, as well as those who voted Yes on one or more of these bills: Asm Dawn Addis, Sen Ben Allen, Asm Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Asm Marc Berman, Sen Catherine Blakespear, Asm Tasha Boerner, Asm Mia Bonta, Asm Damon Connolly, Sen Dave Cortese, Asm Laura Friedman, Asm Alex Lee, Asm Evan Low, Asm Brian Maienschein, Asm Al Muratsuchi, Asm Dane Papan, Asm Gail Pellerin, Asm Sharon Quirk-Silva, Asm Phil Ting, Asm Chris Ward, Asm Akilah Weber, Sen Scott Wiener, Asm Phillip Chen, Sen Brian Dahle, Asm Tim Grayson, Sen Shannon Grove, Asm Chris Holden, Sen Janet Nguyen, Sen Roger Niello, Sen Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, Asm Joe Patterson, Sen Kelly Seyarto, Asm Greg Wallis, and Sen Scott Wilk.
Let's keep fighting the utility lie about rooftop solar
More and more lawmakers are realizing that the utilities are spreading lies about rooftop solar.
They are learning that electricity rates are high because of the utilities’ out-of-control spending, not rooftop solar!
And they are starting to see how rooftop solar actually reduces the cost of the grid, saving all ratepayers money.
But we have a lot of work ahead to root out the utility misinformation that has infected Sacramento.
You can help by educating your state legislators as well as local reporters.
