Sacramento, CA—Today, Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park), the Chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy released the following statement in response to the California Public Utilities Commission decision to adopt new rules for community solar projects that will actually undercut efforts to expand solar power options for low-income customers:
“I have been a strong supporter of Community Solar plus Storage programs for California because it is an opportunity to increase clean energy without waiting in long CAISO interconnection queues, to reduce the amount of transmission that will be needed (which is the main driver of increased rates), and to give communities an opportunity to benefit from the energy savings associated with distributed solar, especially for people living in apartments who haven't had access to rooftop solar.
“Unfortunately, yesterday's CPUC decision will not create a viable, sustainable community solar program.
“The commission has raised legitimate concerns about the original community solar proposal, particularly about affordability and whether it is appropriate to compensate community solar projects at avoided cost if they can be sited anywhere in the state.
“Those are important concerns, but this commission can fix that problem and create a viable program rather than implementing a program that most experts believe will result in very little new community solar development and will rely on uncertain and highly variable one-time funding for subsidies.
“For example, the commission could require community solar projects to be sited only in locations where local demand in that distribution area is sufficient to absorb the project's expected energy exports so that the project really is supplying local power and avoiding transmission and distribution costs.
“If so, compensation at avoided cost would be just and reasonable. I urge the commission to take the time to develop a truly viable proposal rather than closing the record on community solar by implementing a program that is very likely to fail and not deliver the benefits that we all want to see.”