Derek Cressman is a rooftop solar supporter who is running for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) Board of Directors, Ward 4. Solar Rights Alliance has decided to endorse Derek. If you are a voter in District 4, we encourage you to vote for him. If you are not a Ward 4 voter, we encourage you to volunteer and/or donate to Derek’s campaign.
Here is why we are supporting Derek Cressman for SMUD:
1) Derek is an unflinching supporter of your right to make solar energy without unreasonable interference by SMUD.
- Derek is a rooftop solar user, and has been active in the campaign to stop the Solar Tax. For example, Derek attended the October 11th Everyone Under the Sun rally at the State Capitol, and other events like these.
- In contrast, Derek’s opponent, Rosanna Herber, voted to slash the credit solar users receive for sharing their extra energy with the grid. That action, which only recently went into effect, will likely put solar out of reach for everyday Sacramento households. And, instead of owning up to and defending her choice, she sent out a mailer to voters in 2022 saying that “she supports rooftop solar installations and battery storage….”.
2) Derek will take on SMUD’s out-of-control spending on public relations, vanity projects and executive salaries that contribute to SMUD having one of the highest fixed costs of any public utility in California. See Derek’s recently published article on this topic.
3) Derek is an energy policy expert with a deep understanding of the issues, and a vision for how SMUD can control its costs and deliver less expensive and more reliable energy going forward. See more on Derek’s website.
We understand that a candidate’s position on rooftop solar may be just one of many criteria that you may have when casting your ballot. We evaluated Derek only on the basis of his rooftop solar stances. With respect to rooftop solar, Derek is the clear choice.
There are three ways you can support Derek:
- If you live in Ward 4: Vote for Derek Cressman for SMUD on your ballot when it arrives in the mail. Ballots must be postmarked or returned to a voting site by November 8th. Look up your SMUD district
- Donate to Derek’s campaign
- Volunteer on Derek’s campaign
Disclosure: Derek has worked for Solar Rights Alliance in the past as an energy policy analyst. This blog post is paid for by Solar Rights Alliance.