07/17/2020
Hi Joshua,
Good news for your right to make energy from the sun on your property! The country's chief energy official announced this morning that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has decided not to hear the utility industry's petition to overurn California solar policy and eliminate the credit you receive for your solar energy, also called "Net Metering".
The public's voice made this victory possible. 56,605 Americans and numerous state officials including Gov. Newsom's administration submitted an official comment to FERC last month urging them to reject the utility industry's attack on solar.
We staved off a serious attack on solar. To recap, a utility front-group, the New England Ratepayers Association (NERA), asked FERC to overturn state-level solar policies and eliminate the credit you receive for your solar energy, also called "Net Metering". Had FERC granted the petition, your solar investment could have been severely damaged, and solar would become out of reach for your neighbors.
Now we must focus 100% on local attacks on solar. Back in California, we have a similar fight on our hands. Utilities are lobbying state officials to slash the Net Metering credit. I expect this fight to heat up in the fall. Meanwhile, several publicly owned utilities not regulated by the state PUC are also trying to undo Net Metering and discourage people from choosing solar.
Solar Rights Alliance is watching all of these developments closely. I will alert you when your voice is needed most. For today, savor this good news. It is a great example of how people power can overcome the utility monopoly.
-- Dave Rosenfeld, Executive Director
