This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Assembly Bill 327: Utilities Try to Kill Solar Industry – Fight Back at Today's Rally

Assembly Bill 327 (AB 327) is currently going through the state legislative process. AB 327 is backed by California electric utility corporations, and is designed to kill the solar industry by stripping away the laws that currently protect solar producers. It changes the existing rules; rooftop solar generators would no longer receive full credit for the energy they provide to the grid. AB 327 would funnel solar energy savings and investment back into the utilities’ pockets, permanently killing solar energy as an alternative to fossil fuel in this state.

 

Non-solar ratepayers are under attack as well. This bill will attempt to charge solar and non-solar residents alike $10 per month additional fee for all ratepayers, hurting low-income households, as well as discouraging energy conservation. Energy conscious homeowners would be forced to pay an additional $120 a year, regardless of how much they conserve.

Find out what's happening in Rancho Bernardo-4s Ranchwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Want to voice your opposition to how this bill is currently written? Attend a protest today, Wednesday, August 28, 2013 from 11-11:30 a.m. at the Sempra Headquarters, located at 101 Ash Street at 2nd Street, San Diego, CA, 92101.

Find out what's happening in Rancho Bernardo-4s Ranchwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

For the past decade, California has encouraged homeowners, schools, cities and small businesses to go solar via Net Energy Metering (NEM). NEM gives full bill credit to solar producers for the energy they contribute towards the grid. This bill would eliminate NEM. NEM is the policy that created the California solar industry, and currently exists in over 40 states.  

 

The utilities are using AB 327 to kill rooftop solar, which is a disruptive threat to their 100-year old business model. We trusted the utilities with San Onofre and now they are trying to pass on the costs of decommissioning to ratepayers. It is wrong that the Utilities can attempt to destroy competition by proposing bill AB 327 to hurt solar companies and individual solar producers. There is no public benefit; just a benefit for the utility companies and their shareholders.

 

Please do not let the investor-owned utility monopolies and their lobbyists dictate the state’s energy policy. It is in your hands to protect the future of solar in California. To ensure that your voice is heard sign the petition to amend AB 327 here: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/stop-the-utilities-from-1

For more information on Assembly Bill 327 and to take action to support the continued growth of solar, visit www.saveoursolar.com

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?