Court agrees to hear lawsuit against NEM3 rooftop solar decision

Today, the State Court of Appeal in San Francisco agreed to hear a lawsuit appealing the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)’s December 2022 “NEM3” decision to eviscerate the state’s rooftop solar program. The lawsuit, filed by three nonprofit organizations, outlines several ways in which the CPUC’s decision violates both the law and their own rules, and argues that the CPUC’s …

Proposed Utility Tax would increase electricity bills for millions, undermine rooftop solar, and discourage conservation

Summary At the direction of the California State Legislature, the utilities and some aligned organizations are proposing to charge residential ratepayers a Utility Tax of $400 to $1,500 per year—three to twelve times the national average. This mandatory Utility Tax would increase electricity bills on millions for working Californians who live in apartments, condos, and small homes, have rooftop solar, …

CPUC proposes to block rooftop solar for renters, farms, and schools

For years, the utilities have unsuccessfully tried to block homeowners from making their own solar energy. Now they are working to block rooftop solar for California renters, schools, and farmers. We are making a final push to defend their solar rights in the face of a disastrous, utility-backed proposal from the CA Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). You can help! Thousands …

Six tips for buying a solar-powered battery

Thinking of getting a solar-powered battery for your home or business to protect you from the next power outage? Here’s six tips to help you figure it all out, and here’s our Solar-Powered Batteries Webinar for a deeper dive. Solar-powered batteries can let you keep — and use — all of your solar energy Depending on its size, a battery …

Frequently asked questions about changes to California’s rooftop solar rules (aka “NEM3”)

Defying overwhelming public opposition, state officials voted in late 2022 to make drastic changes to California’s rooftop solar rules (called “net energy metering”). The decision by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will make it much more expensive to get rooftop solar starting in mid-April 2023. The decision mostly affects those who do not yet have solar, but can affect …

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 …