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 Action Alert:
Utilities Push for Huge Fee
Increases
On Solar Energy Users in California
What's at stake:
In the next 30 days, the California
Public Utilities Commission will rule on a proposal that would
severely undermine the growth of solar energy in California.
California's powerful private utilities - Pacific Gas & Electric,
Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric -
are lobbying the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
to approve a new solar tax equivalent, known as "exit fees",
which would dramatically increase the costs of using solar energy
for utility customers. The proposal would give utilities the
right to install meters that measure solar production on privately
owned solar energy systems and increase the cost of this solar
energy for customers by up to 40 percent. Help stop this bad
idea from becoming public policy before it's too late.
Background:
If the utilities get their way,
exit fee charges - ranging from 2 to 5 cents per kilowatt-hour
- will be charged to electricity generated by privately owned
solar energy systems. The utilities want to use these fees to
reduce the debt California incurred from buying lots of expensive
(and dirty) power during the energy crisis. But, creating a disincentive
for the public to install solar energy systems goes in the wrong
direction. It is bad for our state's energy independence and
bad for the environment.
Solar energy is helping to generate new
jobs and tax revenues in California and diminishing the state's
vulnerability to energy price hikes. Utility-imposed "exit
fees" would create a huge roadblock to these goals. The
CPUC is expected to vote on this issue in late February. It is
not too late to change the outcome.
Why this is unfair
Individuals, businesses and government agencies that install
solar systems still buy most of their power from utilities. Thus,
solar owners are already paying the same overall higher-cost
electricity rates to pay off the state investment in power supplies
as other utility customer. In addition, customer-owned solar
power provides important public benefits by delivering non-polluting
electricity during peak demand periods, when the dirtiest electric
generators often come on line to meet utility power needs. This
contribution should be rewarded, not penalized.
The Alternative:
The California Public Utilities
Commission has the authority to protect California's solar customers
from utility proposed "exit fees". As a result of tremendous
efforts by California lawmakers and the public to support solar
energy, California enjoyed a 1000% growth in the number of large
solar energy systems installed in the last two years. Let's keep
it going. Don't let the utilities stop this progress. Please
write today.
What you can do
Send a copy of the attached letter to protest the proposed
solar exit fees and urge the California Public Utilities Commission
and Governor Gray Davis to do everything to continue promoting
renewable energy and energy efficiency in California.
Who and Where:
President Michael Peevey
California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
Cc:
Commissioner Brown
Commissioner Kennedy
Commissioner Lynch
Commissioner Wood
Governor Gray Davis
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
When: Today. Each Commissioner and the Governor must hear
from constituents who support the continued use of solar power
in California as soon as possible. Let us not roll back the last
two years of tremendous legislative and public support for and
use of solar power as the result of one agency decision.
 Sample Exit Fee Letter
CPUC Website - Exit
Fee Information Page
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