Rooftop solar just got a big boost from the state of California. Reporter David Haldane explains…
In a big win for rooftop solar in California, the state Public Utilities Commission last week rejected fee increases sought by the big three utility companies.
Alison Seel, an attorney with the Sierra Club, praised the decision.
“We think it keeps what’s working about our current rooftop solar policy,” she said. “It keeps the simplicity and familiarity of net metering and, at the same time, it makes adjustments which are going to incentivize the smarter use of solar generation.”
Utility companies argue that the decision will force non-solar customers to bear more than their share of the cost to maintain the power grid. But Seel maintains that the requested fee increases could have spelled disaster.
“The experiences in some other states like Nevada have shown us that if you make really drastic changes in rooftop solar compensation, you can completely crater the market. And that’s definitely not something that anyone in California wants.”
A BIG WIN FOR ROOFTOP SOLAR IN CALIFORNIA
