Final week, Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) launched AB 1260, laws designed to strengthen and broaden the preliminary framework for California’s neighborhood photo voltaic + storage program established by AB 2316. By making certain honest compensation for neighborhood photo voltaic initiatives and making a viable path for widespread adoption, AB 1260 would decrease vitality prices, present clear vitality entry to tens of millions of Californians and improve grid reliability.
“California wants inexpensive, clear vitality options in the present day, not years down the highway,” mentioned Assemblymember Ward. “This invoice will assure that households, renters and companies — particularly these unable to put in rooftop photo voltaic — can profit from native solar energy, all whereas preserving vitality prices low for each Californian.”
Fixing a damaged course of and transferring ahead
California has struggled for greater than a decade to ascertain a purposeful neighborhood photo voltaic program, regardless of legislative efforts and widespread help from client advocates, environmental teams and housing stakeholders. The CPUC’s most up-to-date program design fell in need of the legislature’s intent, leaving solely a handful of initiatives viable beneath present guidelines.
“This laws makes clear what the legislature and the governor supposed when AB 2316 handed practically three years in the past,” mentioned Derek Chernow, Western Regional Director on the Coalition for Group Photo voltaic Entry (CCSA). “By recognizing the total worth that neighborhood photo voltaic + storage offers to the grid and native communities, we will lastly create a workable, cost-saving program that expands entry to tens of millions of Californians.”
Prioritizing affordability for California ratepayers
California households and companies have confronted among the highest electrical energy charges within the nation, a burden that continues to develop amid rising utility prices. AB 1260 immediately addresses this subject by decreasing prices for each taking part clients and the broader grid. The invoice requires neighborhood photo voltaic initiatives to ship assured invoice financial savings to subscribers, with a minimum of 51% of capability devoted to low-income clients. Moreover, by permitting neighborhood photo voltaic as a compliance possibility for the state’s solar-on-new-homes mandate, the invoice is predicted to save lots of billions in development prices whereas increasing entry to wash vitality.
“This invoice, if handed, would result in a neighborhood photo voltaic program that would unlock entry to an economical supply of renewable vitality for tens of millions of Californians,” mentioned Lauren Kubiak, Senior Scientist, California, Local weather & Vitality at Nationwide Useful resource Protection Council (NRDC).
Past direct invoice financial savings, increasing neighborhood photo voltaic + storage accelerates the deployment of distributed vitality sources (DERs), which assist cut back total electrical energy prices for all Californians. By producing energy nearer to the place it’s wanted, neighborhood photo voltaic reduces the necessity for pricey transmission upgrades, improves grid reliability, and balances provide and demand throughout peak intervals. The invoice leverages non-public capital to modernize the distribution system, making certain a more cost effective and resilient vitality infrastructure for the state.
Key provisions of AB 1260 embody:
- Guaranteeing affordability by dedicating a minimum of 51% of every challenge’s capability to low-income clients, making certain invoice financial savings for individuals who want it most.
- Guaranteeing honest compensation for neighborhood photo voltaic + storage initiatives by directing the California Public Utilities Fee (CPUC) to align compensation insurance policies with long-standing ideas for distributed vitality sources.
- Strengthening vitality resilience by requiring utilities to deal with neighborhood photo voltaic + storage like all different distribution-connected vitality sources that present native advantages.
- Increasing vitality entry by making neighborhood photo voltaic a purposeful compliance possibility for California’s solar-on-new-homes mandate, which can assist cut back housing prices whereas assembly clear vitality necessities.
- Creating good-paying union jobs by requiring prevailing wages for staff developing these initiatives.
Constructing a stronger, extra equitable vitality future
With 19 states and the District of Columbia already benefiting from neighborhood photo voltaic packages, California has the chance to reclaim management in distributed clear vitality. With help from greater than a dozen native and nationwide vitality, housing, environmental justice and ratepayer advocate organizations, AB 1260 ensures that on a regular basis Californians — not simply those that can afford rooftop photo voltaic — can participate within the state’s clear vitality transition whereas decreasing their electrical energy payments.
“California’s daring clear vitality insurance policies require actual options that work for everybody,” mentioned Chris Ochoa, Senior Counsel on the California Constructing Trade Affiliation (CBIA). “This invoice lastly provides homebuilders and property builders a sensible solution to meet the state’s photo voltaic mandate whereas lowering housing prices and delivering dependable, inexpensive vitality.”
Information merchandise from CCSA
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