PG&E, SDG, SDG&E are lobbying to change legislation that makes buying and using solar energy affordable to residential, commercial, and agricultural solar energy users. Currently, the big utility companies in California are required to repay the owners of solar systems for the electricity they produce at the same rate that the utility companies would charge them. The proposed changes by these utilities will significantly reduce the financial benefits of installing a solar system (current estimates are around 25-75% in savings lost). By removing the financial benefits of installing a solar system, less people will be able to afford solar on their home, farm, or business, which will ultimately cripple California's solar industry, destroying hundreds of solar businesses and eliminating tens of thousands of jobs.

The current program in place that benefits solar users is called NEM 2.0 (Net Energy Metering) and is set to be replaced by NEM 3.0 shortly. While negotiations are underway for what rules will be included in the new NEM program, we would like to gain Gavin Newsom's support in keeping the current structure of this program to maintain the credit value of power produced by privately owned solar systems.

The structure of the current NEM program is a bit convoluted, so please follow this link to see the utilities own summary of the current NEM program (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yVgPrhvwyc The basic concept of the program is that power generated by a customer's own solar system can offset power that they use from the grid, saving them money needed to pay for the system itself. Even if a customer produces power at times they don't need it, they receive a credit that can offset their cost of using power at a different time and day (i.g. the solar produces power sent to the grid during the day, but they use most of their power at night). Currently, utilities are required to credit solar energy that is exported to the grid at the same rate that they would charge you as a customer. With the changes the utilities are proposing, even if your system produces as much energy as your home needed, the utility company would only credit you at a rate of 25-75% of what they would charge for the exact same power!

For many solar customers the savings generated by their system is what enables them to afford installing the solar in the first place. If the utilities reduce this financial incentive for us, what used to be thriving industry in California could shrivel away to nothing. The fact is, many people will not or cannot utilize solar power if it is not financially viable for their family, farm, or business. Preserving or improving the structure of the current NEM program to benefit utility customers will keep the growth of solar industry strong and keep California as the leader in renewable energy.

I kindly ask your help to request Gavin Newsom's support in fighting the utility companies that are trying to devalue California's solar energy. Please sign this petition on Change.org and follow this link to another petition headed by the California Solar and Storage Association for the same cause. My job and the jobs of many others are counting on our efforts. Thank you all in advance for your support!

https://www.savecaliforniasolar.org/sign-petition#/35/

Dear Governor Newsom,

California is a solar leader. We are asking you to make it easier, not harder, for more people to go solar, to meet our bold commitments to clean energy and to maximize the public benefits of our transition to clean energy.

Utilities are lobbying you and your administration to discourage solar by attacking net energy metering. Net metering disrupts the utility monopoly and hurts their profits by allowing renters, schools, homeowners, farmers and others to use the sun for their own energy needs and to share it with their neighbors in exchange for a bill credit.

This simple, groundbreaking policy has helped over a million Californians invest in solar. It should be expanded, not throttled, to help us get to 100% clean energy as soon as possible.

Consumers are watching and counting on you to take our side. Please stand up to the utilities and the dirty energy lobby by keeping rooftop solar growing.