Thursday, January 20, 2022

Talking to (Solar) Power

There's a lot of people out there who really don't like PG&E, the regulated public utility company that supplies power to much of Northern California. 

Add over one million more households - all of us who have solar panels on our roofs - plus all those millions more who benefit from rooftop solar or want to put rooftop solar on their homes, apartment buildings, schools, farms, parking lots, etc.. Why are we all so pissed off?

All of the big public utilities in the state now want to rollback and penalize those people who want to use the sun for their energy needs, rather than continue to kill the planet by burning fossil fuels. For all the ins and outs:

Environment California

Save California Solar

Even Arnie thinks it's a dumb idea

What to do? Get the current governor involved!

Call Governor Newsom at 916/445-2841  

Sign any and all of those petitions that you can find online

Hand write a letter to Governor Newsom at 1021 O Street, Suite 9000, Sacramento, CA 95814. Since so few people now remember how to use stamps, your efforts here might really get noticed.

SAMPLE SCRIPT (cribbed from Solar Rights Alliance)

“I am opposed to the CPUC’s proposal to make it more expensive for people to put solar panels on their roof.

Consumers should not be penalized in any way for making solar at their homes, schools, businesses and houses of worship. California should do more to promote local solar, not less. People need relief from high energy bills, blackouts and air pollution. 
 
Making rooftop solar and batteries more expensive for everyone, especially middle and working class people, makes no sense. It’s the wrong direction for California. Please step in, protect the public interest, promote more rooftop solar for more people, not less. 
 
[CPUC Docket #: R.20-08-020]"

Thank you!