Thousands of Californians have helped us speak up for clean energy in the big new utility rate reform bill making its way through Sacramento — thank you! After recent changes, that bill — AB 327 — now has the potential to be a key blueprint for the future of solar in California. Big progress has been made, but now we have only a few days to close two more critical loopholes and get a solar victory over the finish line. If you live in California, we’ve made it easy to show your support for solar here.
As with most big pieces of legislation, it’s all pretty complex. Here’s the run-down: AB 327 removes some looming threats to solar in our state. First, it ensures that one of California’s most important solar consumer rights, our net metering program, will stay in place until at least 2016 instead of being suspended as soon as next year. Second, it gives the California Public Utilities Commission authority to remove caps on participation in the program altogether for the first time in California history. These changes chart the way forward toward long-term solar industry sustainability, and will help hundreds of thousands of homes, schools and businesses go solar, lower their electricity bills, and build a brighter California for all of us. Both are huge wins!
But there are still two parts of the bill that should be strengthened. First, AB 327 should go further to protect net metering rights for existing solar customers after 2016. And second, the bill should close the door to potential new bill charges, levied just on solar customers, when the program is expanded.
Solar is one of California’s great success stories. The state senate has one last opportunity to improve both those sections of the bill and keep solar shining in the Golden State. No surprise: the big utilities putting up a fight to against pro-solar changes that keep Californians lowering their utility bills. That’s why we’re asking Californians to urge their Senators to support solar and – importantly – strengthen AB 327.