LCEA supports AB 1990 - Solar for All initiative: A Community-Benefits Feed-in Tariff

Spearheaded by the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) and authored by Assemblyman Paul Fong (Cupertino), AB 1990 would provide a 375 megawatt feed-in tariffs tariff program to promote 375 megawatts of small-scale renewable energy projects in disadvantaged communities in California by 2020.

Under a Feedfeed-in tariffs (FiT) program, utility companies are required to pay set rates to energy producers are fees paid for electricity produced they generate from renewable sources, such as solar panels or wind turbines that are connected to the public energy grid.

AB 1990 requires utility companies to establish long term, fixed-rate tariff rates that would cover the cost of installation and maintenance of more than 1000 solar roof-top installations or other renewable energy projects facilities in communities with high unemployment and high pollution from non-renewablefossil-fuel energy sources. It also includes other community benefits, such as a local hire provision to ensure that the resulting green jobs go to those living in the community.

LCEA supports sent a letter of support for AB 1990, as do did at least 80 other social justice groups, renewable energy groups, environmental groups, religious organizations, and community-based organizations. groups such as Asian Pacific Islander community. The FiT program provided s provided by AB 1990 are is an important step in promoting local, renewable energy projects and placing them in communities that are most impacted by climate change, but have otherwise not benefited from the growing green economy.

The bill was introduced into the State Assembly on February 23, 2012 and passed by the Utilities and Commerce Committee on a 9 to 4 vote,  on April 23, 2012. The next hearing for AB 1990 will be before the Appropriations Committee in May.

The CEJA web site has more information about the bill including ways you can show support for it.