Assembly Member Damon Connolly recently unveiled Assembly Bill (AB) 2619, aiming to counter the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) decision to reduce incentives for households with solar panels selling excess power to the grid. Connolly emphasized the necessity of aligning regulatory actions with California's ambitious clean energy objectives, as stipulated in Senate Bill (SB) 100.
“It's clear that additional taxes on solar and the removal of incentives that have helped offset the cost of solar installation has had severe consequences on our ability to generate clean energy,” Connolly stated, expressing concern over the decline in rooftop solar sales, which plummeted by 66% to 83% following the NEM 3.0 decision.
Stephanie Doyle, the California state affairs director at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), echoed Connolly's sentiments, stressing the challenges faced by the solar industry in adapting to abrupt changes in California's net metering program. Doyle lauded AB 2619, noting its provisions mandating the CPUC to formulate a new solar tariff by 2027 and preventing the imposition of new fees on solar customers.
“Over the last year, the California rooftop solar and storage industry has struggled to adjust to the abrupt changes to California's net metering programme. The new bill would require the CPUC to develop a new solar tariff by 2027 and prohibit new fees on solar customers, helping to ensure that the solar market in California continues to grow,” Doyle affirmed.
