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Clean Energy Activists Call on Gov. Newsom to Save California Solar, Say No To PG&E’s Profit Grab
A giant sun costume, giant battery take to the streets to galvanize public support for rooftop solar
Clean energy activists dressed up in costume as a sun and a solar-powered battery took to Berkeley streets on October 2 to galvanize public support for rooftop solar, calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), to stop the PG&E profit grab and to protect consumer’s rights to the sun.
“California is a solar state where the sun belongs to everyone, not PG&E,” said Susanna Porte from Save California Solar, a coalition of over 250 organizations working to make rooftop solar more affordable. “We’re here asking Gov. Newsom to say ‘NO’ to PG&E’s profit grab and stop PG&E from blocking the sun.”
Popular policies like net metering have helped 1.2 million California consumers tap into the sun’s power to save money and clean up the air, but big utilities like PG&E, are standing in the way of future progress.
They are lobbying the CPUC to add an $80/month on average solar penalty fee to ratepayer bills and drastically reduce the credit solar consumers receive for selling excess power back to the grid. If they get their way, Californians’ access to solar power will be blocked.
“This is a big utility profit grab at the expense of the public and planet that is out of step with California’s clean energy goals,” said Colette Bartel. “We need the governor to step in and keep California on its path to a clean energy future while giving consumers real solutions to blackouts, wildfires and climate change.”
The activists dressed up as a giant sun and also a solar-powered battery to capture attention and to underscore how rooftop solar and battery storage is one of the best ways to protect the public from blackouts and rising energy bills while also ensuring the state’s clean energy progress continues.
They encouraged passersby to sign a petition to the governor and the CPUC, which will decide later this year the fate of California’s popular net energy metering program. Over 30,000 people have already signed the petition, and over 200 nonprofit organizations have endorsed the Save California Solar campaign.
CPUC will decide the fate of rooftop solar later this year.
