State Supreme Court grants review of lawsuit against NEM3 rooftop solar decision

This week, the State Supreme Court granted review of the lawsuit the lawsuit appealing the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)’s December 2022 “NEM3” decision. The lawsuit called for the CPUC’s decision to be overturned on the grounds that the CPUC’s decision violates both the law and their own rules. This comes after the State Court of Appeal in San Francisco …

CPUC voted to send rooftop solar off a cliff

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously voted on December 15th to make drastic changes to the state’s rooftop solar rules. Read the final decision (NEM3) Fact sheet How the CPUC’s decision may affect you Key details Most consumers who get solar after April 2023 will see an average 75% reduction in the credit they receive for sharing their extra …

The net metering policy that puts consumers at the center

Most people, including Governor Newsom, agree that the CPUC’s proposed rooftop solar decision (Net Energy Metering 3.0 or “NEM3”) needs to be changed. The billion dollar question now is, “what changes will Governor Newsom and the CPUC make?”  Since the CPUC’s original proposal from December is so extreme, measuring the effectiveness of the Governor’s response must be based on basic …

Update: Solar Tax defeated, again!​

We are happy to report that the authors of SB 846 have agreed to clarify in writing that the bill will not impose a Solar Tax on the solar energy you produce and consume at home.  In other words, you helped defeat the Solar Tax. Again. This is the third time in the last year we have had to fight to …

The utilities are the masterminds behind the smear campaign against rooftop solar

For those who are curious, the three investor-owned utilities – PG&E, SoCal Edison and SDG&E – are behind the pressure and misinformation campaign to kill rooftop solar. The utilities’ campaign against rooftop solar is being waged by a nice-sounding front group called “Affordable Clean Energy for All”. They have a slick website called Fix the Cost Shift. They claim to …

The Solar Tax is Back (and the Solar Cliff, too)

On May 9th, the CPUC formally requested input on three changes they are considering to rooftop solar net metering. Among these changes is a Solar Tax of $300 to $600 per year on average. In other words, the CPUC appears to be pursuing a re-packaged version of their disastrous proposal in December.  As we feared, the utilities have so captured …

The CPUC went on tour to sell utility propaganda against rooftop solar

Following weeks of silence, the first substantive remarks on rooftop solar have started to trickle out of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). These remarks paint the picture of a government agency unabashedly selling utility propaganda against rooftop solar. They also suggest that the CPUC didn’t actually get the overwhelming message from the public, and is planning to reissue a …

The Sneaky Solar Tax lurking in the shadows

In February, thanks to a massive public outcry, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) shelved their proposal to slap consumers with a Solar Tax averaging $700 per year. But since then, the CPUC and Gov. Newsom have been silent on what comes next. It’s possible they are working on other ways to sneak the Solar Tax back to the table. …

Newsom: “We still have work to do”

On Monday January 10th, two reporters asked Governor Newsom where he stood on the CA Public Utilities Commission’s proposal to penalize people for choosing solar energy, and whether the proposal needed to be changed. The Governor’s answer: “We still have work to do…Do I think changes should be made? Yes, I do.” View his full response to the first and the second question. The good …