The utilities and their allies spent more than $1 billion influencing politicians, nonprofits, academia, and more

Sometimes it is hard to understand how a convicted criminal like PG&E continues to get their way with California lawmakers. How the utilities get away with rate hike after rate hike. Sneaking hidden taxes into legislation in the middle of the night. Landing body blow after body blow on the state’s most popular clean energy solution—rooftop solar. The answer is …

The Public Advocates Office is spreading utility lies about rooftop solar

Download a printable summary of this article The Public Advocates Office (PAO) is supposed to be the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) internal ratepayer advocate. In reality, they are yet another government agency that is captured by the big utilities. The State Auditor recently slammed them for failing at their core job of checking out-of-control utility spending. Now, instead of …

TURN’s misguided position on rooftop solar

Download a printable summary of this article The Utility Reform Network (TURN) has worked for 50 years as California’s best-known ratepayer advocate. Despite their laudable efforts, California’s electricity system is broken, with some of the highest electricity rates in the nation.  TURN helps the utilities attack rooftop solar. The root cause of California’s skyrocketing electricity rates is clear: out-of-control utility …

Why is NRDC helping the utilities kill rooftop solar?

Download a printable summary of this article. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is one of the country’s largest environmental groups. For decades, NRDC has worked to convince California politicians to side with utilities and energy companies—from enabling the Enron debacle, to undermining rooftop solar, to promoting the largest Utility Tax in the country. NRDC’s co-founder became the leader of …

When the Berkeley name is used to vilify rooftop solar

The Energy Institute at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley (Haas Energy Institute) is often cited in news stories and government reports as an ‘independent’ academic source for information about rooftop solar. The Haas Energy Institute’s director is frequently called upon to provide research for the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and sits on the Board of the …