The California Public Utilities Fee (CPUC) issued a proposed decision within the Neighborhood Photo voltaic Continuing (A.22-05-022) that just about ensures that no group photo voltaic initiatives shall be developed at a time when the state is dealing with surging power costs, states the Photo voltaic Power Industries Affiliation (SEIA).
CPUC headquarters. Picture: Sharon Hahn Darlin
“With this proposed determination that crushes any likelihood of a viable group photo voltaic program within the state, the CPUC has wasted a golden alternative to assist decrease utility payments for Californians in determined want of reduction from skyrocketing electrical energy costs,” mentioned Stephanie Doyle, SEIA California state affairs director. “The state legislature made it clear in passing AB 2316 in 2022 that it needs a sturdy program to offer group photo voltaic to low-income Californians and to help grid resilience for all ratepayers. However as an alternative of following the legislation and listening to the broad coalition of Californians who’ve repeatedly referred to as for a workable group photo voltaic program, the CPUC has doubled down on its previous unhealthy selections on the behest of monopoly utilities. California’s ratepayers deserve higher.”
AB 2316, signed into law in September 2022, required massive utilities serving greater than 100,000 clients to create and implement applications that “allow ratepayers to take part instantly in offsite electrical era amenities that use eligible renewable power assets,” similar to group photo voltaic. In 2024, the CPUC rejected a proposal from photo voltaic advocacy teams that may help group photo voltaic within the state, as an alternative placing extra decision-making power into native utility fingers. State legislators then attempted last year to pass a new invoice designed to strengthen and increase the preliminary framework for California’s group photo voltaic + storage program, guaranteeing affordability to low-income clients, amongst different stipulations.
The Coalition for Neighborhood Photo voltaic Entry (CCSA) framed CPUC’s proposed determination as one other step backward for group photo voltaic in California.
“Whereas it purports to maneuver implementation ahead, it doesn’t set up a workable group renewable power program. It omits core parts similar to easy methods to enroll clients, invoice financial savings necessities, low-income participation pathways and alignment with the state’s Title 24 constructing necessities. Certainly, the proposed determination lacks the basic parts wanted to make initiatives viable or ship significant financial savings to clients,” mentioned James McGarry, CCSA West regional director.
“By limiting compensation to wholesale prevented value below legacy PURPA-based frameworks and declining to acknowledge the total worth that distributed photo voltaic and storage present to the grid, this proposal successfully ensures that no initiatives shall be constructed. In observe, it affords no significant pathway past current procurement choices, asking builders to soak up extra prices with out offering extra worth. The result’s a program in identify solely, at a time when California urgently wants scalable, reasonably priced options to fulfill rising demand and rising power prices,” he continued.
Read the proposed decision here.
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