You have the right to make energy from the sun. This legal article explains why.

right to make energy from the sun

We bet most people would agree that these three statements are true: 1) You put solar panels on your roof to make your own electricity.  2) When you make your own electricity, you might buy less electricity from the utility company.  3) If you buy less electricity from the utility, you do not owe them anything for lost sales.  You …

No, we don’t have too much solar in California. This chart shows why.

Recent news reports have focused on the fact that California sometimes makes more solar energy than it uses. While this does happen sometimes, California does not have too much solar energy. Here’s why: The real story is about hot summer days, not mild, spring days. These news stories tend to focus on mild, sunny spring days when the days are …

New study shows how CA rooftop solar consumers save all ratepayers $1.49 billion

For years, the utilities and some state agencies have falsely blamed rooftop solar consumers for California’s high electricity rates, saying that solar users cause a “cost shift” to other ratepayers. In August 2024, the Public Advocates Office (PAO) of the CA Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) doubled down with a report claiming that rooftop solar consumers shifted $8.5 billion of grid …

Rooftop solar can reduce the cost of the grid by $120 billion by 2050

Rooftop solar saves all ratepayers money, whether or not they have solar. But rooftop solar also reduces utility profits, which is why the utilities are running a misinformation campaign about rooftop solar. Decision-makers and opinion leaders should look under the hood, and see just how rooftop solar is a vital tool to control unsustainable electricity prices for all Californians. Rooftop …

Guest post: Response to Utility-Led Arguments Against Against Rooftop Solar

Editor’s Note: Bill Powers is a well-regarded engineer and policy expert. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Protect Our Communities Foundation, a San Diego-based nonprofit conservation group. Solar Rights Alliance invited Mr. Powers to submit this guest post to help clarify the misinformation that utilities and others are spreading through the media. Guest Blog Post: Response to …

Eight take-homes from the LA Times rooftop solar story

This week, the LA Times published a story about the fight over rooftop solar, followed up by a smaller article. Here’s eight take-homes from the story. 1) Everyone loves rooftop solar, including working and middle class people. By featuring new solar user Marta Patricia Martinez, the LA Times illustrated an important fact: just under half of all new solar is …

Rooftop solar is good for turtles and cactuses

This article by LA Times’ Sammy Roth highlights the tension between large-scale renewable energy and protecting open space in the California desert – and notes how rooftop solar can ameliorate this tension. The LA Times article cites two contrasting studies about how to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, which is the Biden Administration’s climate change goal: One study shows …

LA Times: Solar & batteries to the rescue!

This week’s LA Times reports that increasing the number of solar homes and businesses with battery backup could help avert massive power outages during next summer’s likely heat waves. Here’s seven take-homes from the article: 1) When rooftop solar is paired with a battery, the extra solar energy can get stored in the garage and used when the sun gooes …