The California Public Utilities Commission intends to end incentives for rooftop solar because its members believe they only benefit those who can afford them.
That is definitely not true, but the commissioners’ sudden concern for the poor confuses me. They showed little when the locations of oil and gas wells or fracking in poor neighborhoods led to a myriad of health problems.
CPUC members are concerned lower-income customers who cannot afford solar will end up paying more of the total energy costs, like for improvements to fire-prone transmission lines across long distances. Unfortunately, we all pay for the lawsuits, lost homes and destroyed landscapes attributed to decades of ignored fire risk. Many poor souls paid with their lives.
The CPUC ignores the social cost disadvantaged neighborhoods pay for dirty energy. According to Stanford’s Mark Jacobson, “Suddenly, air pollution, health and climate damage, particularly to poor communities, are not relevant or accounted for when utilities want to deflect from the high cost of their past mistakes.”
Past mistakes include not burying – or even wrapping with fireproof tape – transmission lines responsible for so much destruction in California.
I’m a retired middle-income educator who taught kids with learning differences (how I miss those kids). I borrowed $18,000 to install solar panels on my house. I did so because I wanted to get off the fossil fuels driving climate change.
Whatever money I do save after the 10-year payoff will go towards ridding my home of methane-powered appliances (estimated cost $30,000) and buying battery storage ($25,000). It will be decades before I receive a return, but I do it so these children can enjoy the same quality of life I do.
I’m not alone. The implementation of rooftop solar is a glimpse into the future of clean energy generation. Solar, coupled with battery storage, can provide clean power for homes, schools, faith-based institutions and businesses. Solar provides reliability utilizing an abundant energy source. It continues to improve with time as more innovators develop efficient solar infrastructure and batteries.
During power outages, local governments can provide electricity for their communities with rooftop solar coupled with battery storage. Having an independent source of power creates resilience for both town services and residents. It better equips us for extreme weather, providing power, broadband, cooling, water, social services and older-adult assistance during power outages or emergencies. Town electric bills will be reduced and local jobs for installation are created.
Solar-panel installations on existing roofs provide good-paying jobs. California has led the way, creating 125,000 jobs in solar electricity generation. This is the highest in the country. Continuing to grow this market will strengthen the economy and help the state recover jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So why is the California Public Utilities Commission slashing (by 80%) the price paid for extra solar? Why would they consider penalizing solar customers by slapping an average monthly fee of $56?
It appears the commissioners need to prop up failing utilities somehow, but these cost changes will end the rooftop solar market and require additional fossil fuel to power California. Behavior like that only contributes to the climate crisis.
Commissioners just fined Pacific Gas and Electric Co. $125 million for its role in the Kincaid fire. Southern California Edison will pay $550 million in fines for fires in that part of the state. I cannot think of a better use of that money than helping overly polluted communities pay for solar panels or microgrids in their neighborhoods.
The governor, state legislature and the CPUC need to understand that Californians have had it. The continual loss of common sense solutions to climate change will no longer be tolerated. They even managed to exempt businesses from these draconian fees. It’s always the individuals being taxed and corporations go scott free. Enough is enough.
Susannah Saunders, of San Anselmo, is a member of Indivisible California’s Green Team.
