California hits one million solar roofs milestone
This week, solar users, solar workers and students joined former Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown at Buchanan High School in Clovis to celebrate hitting One Million Solar Roofs this year. It’s a huge milestone, and worth celebrating because solar has been great for the people of California. “Being a veteran, I feel that by going solar I’m still helping…
Eight ways your solar benefits everyone
The utilities often falsely tell lawmakers that your solar is an expensive burden on the electrical grid. Solar users know the truth: your solar system not only benefits you individually, but the entire community as well. Now, a new report by the nonprofit Environment America spells out many of the ways your solar benefits society. In this post, we summarize…
Solar heros of the month
These folks helped lead the successful grassroots opposition to the Sacramento utility’s proposed $40-$60 per month solar fee. Since then, they’ve organized lobby days for the Solar Bill of Rights and launched a new campaign to improve their utility’s approach to solar. Pictured left to right are Gabor Leidenfrost, Lee Miller and Alan Escarda (Solar Rights Alliance Executive Director Dave…
Solar Bill of Rights down, but not out. Here’s the path forward.
Utility lobbyists killed the bill to protect your right to make solar energy without unfair fees or red tape, but they can’t kill the idea. With more wildfires, blackouts and budget-busting electricity prices on the horizon, we need a Solar Bill of Rights more than ever. Your voice is key to stepping up the pressure and succeeding. It is time…
Sacramento solar users aim for “The Utility of the Future”
In March, Sacramento area solar users banded together and stopped their local utility (SMUD) from hitting solar users with a punishing $40-$60 / month fee. Encouraged that their voices were heard by SMUD, these solar users are now campaigning to help SMUD become a “The Utility of the Future.” Solar users would have paid $40-60 more per month…just for having…
When you show up, solar wins
“…your officials have an interest in getting re-elected. Meeting with them, expressing your point to them directly, I think it can have a big impact.” – Irvine resident Raj Pandey We agree with Raj. The Solar Bill of Rights was approved unanimously by the Senate Energy Committee in April in large part because the room was packed with 50 supporters,…
Your city may be lobbying to kill the Solar Bill of Rights
It isn’t just private utilities like PGE who are trying to kill the Solar Bill of Rights. Lobbyists for the public utilities serving LA, Sacramento, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, Anaheim, Riverside and many other cities are also working to preserve their ability to charge anti-solar fees. In case you missed the news: in May, State Senators gutted the Solar Bill of Rights…
This anti-solar fee is exactly why we need the Solar Bill of Rights
In April, the Sacramento-area utility withdrew a terrible anti-solar fee after over a thousand local solar users spoke out. It was a triumph of people power, but underscores how none of us are safe from discriminatory fees that punish us for doing the right thing. Solar users would have paid $40-60 more per month…just for having solar At issue was…
Solar users pack the room, lawmakers advance Solar Bill of Rights. See the connection?
In front of a packed room of solar supporters (see below photo), a panel of powerful state lawmakers advanced the Solar Bill of Rights (SB 288) by a vote of 11-0 at the State Capitol in April. This, despite aggressive, misleading arguments against the bill by a crush of utility industry lobbyists. The bill is not law yet, and has…