In the coming weeks, the Public Utilities Commission will decide on the future of net energy metering, which has been the catalyst for California’s massive solar boom.
With the large utilities lobbying hard to gut net metering, it’s unclear whether the Golden State will continue to lead on solar — or slam the brakes on consumer-driven clean energy progress.
Why should we save solar?
Planet
The deployment of emission-free, renewable energy systems is one of the best ways to combat climate change. Solar is transforming the way energy is created, distributed, and used in our homes, businesses, and cities.
The era of mega fossil-fuel power plants is giving way to a new decentralized energy grid that is more resilient and efficient.
Transforming how our cities and communities operate is critical to slowing climate change while making us safer in the event that a natural disaster knocks a major power plant offline.
People
People love solar.
Families, kids, politicians, blue-collar workers and even Wall Street investors. People see solar as a sign of progress and improvement.
Solar creates jobs, cuts carbon emissions, and is an economic engine that sends the message “yes, there is a better way.”
Economics
Solar PV systems, the ones you see on your neighbor’s roof, generate emission-free electricity and, under the current PG&E solar rates, make a lot of sense for homeowners and businesses.
With Internal Rates of Return (IRR) over 15 percent and thousands of dollars in PG&E savings, solar is being deployed at an exponential rate.
Solar has been great for our region. The solar industry employs hundreds of people in the Monterey Bay area and there are dozens of solar businesses and suppliers.Installations are happening daily and the economic stimulus has been tremendous.
With so many things going well in solar, why would the CPUC mess with it?
It doesn’t make sense.