Call Today! - CPUC ATTEMPT TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER ADVOCATES ON VIRTUAL NET METERING (VNEM) DECISION NOVEMBER 16TH

COMMENT, CALL, EMAIL TO SAVE SOLAR FOR SCHOOLS, SMALL FARMS, HEALTH CENTERS–Virtual Net Energy Metering (VNEM)

Due to the incredible turn out of clean energy and environmental justice advocates defending solar for renters, the CPUC just released a new proposal that does restore the opportunity for some - but not all - renters to go solar. However, this addition is only limited to residential accounts. Schools, farms, resiliency hubs, community health centers, and even the common areas in multifamily housing - such as those that are needed to provide access to EV charging infrastructure for renters - are still cut out of the ability to reduce their utility burden through solar.  
 
We know that this is a tactic to divide and conquer the people! Why not include onsite netting for schools, small farmers and health centers as well?! Demand onsite netting for all facilities! The CPUC has now postponed the date on virtual net metering for the third time, to Thursday 11/16 starting at 11am. 
The pressure you've put on the CPUC and the Governor's Office has been working. Now it's needed one more time. Please take a few minutes to take the actions below today. Thanks for all you do!
 
 
1. Call the Governor! Gov. Newsom appointed the CPUC Commissioners. His phone number is (916) 445-2841. His lines are open Monday-Friday 9 am - 5 pm.
 
My name is ____. I'm a ____ living in _________. I am calling to demand that __________ does everything in their power to stop the CPUC's proposal to block rooftop solar that could power schools, farms, resiliency hubs, community health centers, and even EV charging infrastructure for renters. The new CPUC proposed decision still cuts them all out - and would deny them the opportunity to reduce working folks' already skyrocketing utility burden and make life even harder. The proposal must be changed to allow every nook and cranny of multifamily housing, schools, and farms to use their solar power without utility interference, with no exceptions whatsoever. I would like a call back to hear what _____ intends to do to stand up for everyday people on this issue. My number is ______. Thank you.
 
Please forward to your contacts for whom this issue may be of interest. We can win if there's a groundswell of calls.
 
 
2. Write to the CPUC and tell them not to block solar for renters, farms, and schools
Go to the CPUC website and click "Add Public Comment". 
Complete the public comment form and hit submit. You can use the points above for your comment.
If you are part of an organization that is a party to this CPUC proceeding, please do not identify yourself as a member of that organization. If you have questions about whether an organization is a party, please reply back to this email, and I'll be happy to respond.
 
 
BACKGROUND:
For years, the utilities have unsuccessfully tried to block homeowners from making their own solar energy. Now they are working to block rooftop solar for California renters, schools, and farmers. We are making a final push to defend their solar rights in the face of a disastrous, utility-backed proposal from the CA Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The CPUC is scheduled to make a final decision on November 16, 2023. You can help!
 
Thousands of renters, farmers, and schools benefit from rooftop solar
- California’s nearly 2 million solar rooftops include multi-family homes, farms, and schools. Do not divide us!
-They lower their utility bills through two programs that are very similar to the net energy metering (NEM) program used by homeowners.
 
The CPUC has proposed to stop apartments, farms, and schools from using their own rooftop solar to reduce their electricity bill
 
- Here’s how it works: the solar energy directly powers your property when the sun is shining, which reduces the amount of electricity you buy from the utility. This is common sense.
- But the CPUC in August proposed that properties that have more than one electrical meter be blocked from directly using their rooftop solar energy. This would include apartments, farms, schools, factories, and other businesses.
- The CPUC just released a new proposal that does restore the opportunity for some - but not all - renters to go solar. This addition is only limited to residential accounts. Schools, farms, resiliency hubs, community health centers, and even the common areas in multifamily housing - such as those that are needed to provide access to EV charging infrastructure for renters - are still cut out of the ability to reduce their utility burden through solar.  
- For these solar users, the CPUC is proposing to give the utilities exclusive control over their rooftop solar energy when it is produced. The landlord and tenants of an apartment building, for example, would then have to buy their own solar energy back from the utility at full price. Under this scheme, they would lose all of the savings that single-family homeowners get.
 
The CPUC is proposing a blatant seizure of property
 
- Yes, you read it correctly. The utilities are proposing to essentially seize control of the power generated by these rooftop solar systems—that they did not pay for and do not own—and then sell that power back to their owner.
- With respect to rooftop solar, there is no meaningful difference between properties with one meter (such as single-family homes) and properties with two meters (such as apartments, farms, schools, and many businesses). All have the right to install solar panels and use that energy instead of buying it from the utility.
 
How do the CPUC/utilities justify their proposal? Is there something different about the way rooftop solar works for properties with more than one meter?
 
- In the case of a school with several buildings, the solar energy might first flow into the local grid for a moment before traveling back to other buildings on the school grounds.
 - In these cases, the solar energy gets “in front of the meter” for an instant, and then flows right back to the property served. This is a technical feature related to how multi-meter properties work with rooftop solar.
- Bottom line, the solar electrons power the property. This is the only relevant fact. However, the CPUC/utilities say that because the solar electrons touch the grid for a brief moment, those electrons are no longer the property of the solar user.
- This is utter nonsense because those same electrons flow right back and power the property as intended. The utilities/CPUC are using their monopoly power to defy the laws of physics, and to pretend that those electrons are not being used for self-consumption, when in fact they are.
 
You helped stop utilities from blocking solar for homeowners, so now they are trying to block it for renters, farmers, and schools
 
- You might be asking, “But didn’t the CPUC gut rooftop solar for homeowners last year?” Not quite. Thanks to your efforts, the CPUC did not alter your right to make solar energy to power your home “behind the meter.” The CPUC instead slashed the credit that homeowners get for sharing their extra solar energy with the grid. That’s not good, but the basic solar right for homeowners was preserved.
- However, if the CPUC takes away the fundamental solar right for renters, there’s no doubt they will try again for homeowners at some point.
 
Renters, affordable housing developers, farmers, and schools are fighting back—and homeowners are backing them up
 
- Hundreds of organizations and businesses representing renters, farmers, schools, and apartment owners have sent letters, made phone calls, and met with decision-makers over the last month. Many of them have pointed out that rooftop solar is an important way to reduce California’s high cost of living for renters and others, and that this proposal makes the problem worse.
- More than fifty people, including many solar homeowners, packed the CPUC’s August meeting to denounce their proposal and demand it be dropped.
 - The media is finally beginning to pick up the story, which will help put pressure on Governor Newsom to intervene.
We are continuing to sound the alarm with renters, farmers, affordable housing advocates, and others to speak out.