Earlier this week the California Public Utility Committee proposed a rule change that could devestate rooftop solar. The new rule, NEM3.0, would assess a monthly solar penalty fee to all solar and storage customers, slash net metering credit by 80% and reduce the agreed upon billing structure for existing solar customers. Today, participants had one minute to voice their response at the CPUC meeting. Here is my statement:
My name is Sander Kushen and I am the State Advocate for CALPIRG Education Fund, the CA Public Interest Research Group, a consumer advocacy organization.
I’m here today to voice strong opposition to the preliminary decision on net energy metering released Monday.
The CAISO projects that rooftop solar saved ratepayers $2.6 billion in avoided transmission costs. And more local solar saves consumers and society from harms of pollution.
This decision would cut consumer confidence by changing the solar customer billing rules midstream. It would cut consumer confidence by cutting the length of the existing agreement by 25% after they already made the investment. And I’m concerned that this would have a chilling effect on any consumer investment in clean energy solutions.
Don’t punish consumers for supporting clean air and going solar.