Support California Solar Power Bills...NOW!

In the last blog I wrote about the Vote Solar Initiative and the great work they are doing to bring solar power into the mainstream. They must continually overcome numerous obstacles. Their website is a "must bookmark" and "must regularly visit" for anyone who is passionate about making solar power ubiquitous. The folks at Vote Solar are constantly juggling the many projects that are in progress and relavent to their (read: our) cause. They work closely behind-the-scenes with states and municipalities on a lot of research and policy development. They also work closely with Solarnation, an organization focused more on community activism than in municipal support. From time-to-time, they also publicly take the lead on vital issues. Now is one of those times.

Perhaps you have seen emails and tweets going around asking you to take action on an urgent bill coming before the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee on June 30. If you have, I hope you have acted. If not, here it is straight from Vote Solar:

Don't put the brakes on solar in California

The California solar market faces a serious roadblock. Net metering--the policy that allows you to roll you meter backwards when you generate more solar electricity than you use--is currently capped at 2.5 % of system peak load. At current growth rates, we'll likely hit this limit in parts of the state during this legislative cycle. If the Legislature does not act, California's solar industry would take a serious hit.

Net metering makes solar systems more economical, and saves all ratepayers money by reducing peak demand.

AB 560 (Skinner) would raise the cap to 10%. It's passed the Assembly, and faces a key hurdle in the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee on June 30. Can you take action now?

All the state utilities, including the self-appointed champion of solar PG&E, oppose this bill. Apparently, having too much solar power too fast is not good for somebody. PG&E spokespeople say "not good for their non-solar customers," while the bill's supporters speculate it's more of a bottom-line sort of concern. In any event, there is an opportunity for you and I to fight against the utilities' lobbying attempts and make your voice be heard. All you have to do is two things: (1) go here and sign the message, and (2) pass the link to this blog or to the Vote Solar page to as many Californians as you know.

AB560 is not the only bill that we all need to see passed. The Mercury News points out that PG&E is also opposed to a second bill in the works:

AB 920, would change the way customers with solar installations are paid for surplus power. Utilities now give them full retail rate credit on their monthly bill that can be used to offset the customer's energy consumption at other times, like nighttime. But at the end of the year, leftover credits are zeroed out. AB 920 would require utilities to pay for credits or any electricity left over at the end of the year, although at a lower rate, or allow them to be rolled over to the next year.

Many of the current solar power customers to whom I have spoken were not familiar with any of the net metering details currently in place, let alone about these two bills. It's up to us to keep these issues in our mainstream conversations. It's up to us to pass this on to as many people as possible.

To keep up will all legislative activities in California, go here.