State votes to slash rooftop solar credits, ending long battle over state subsidies

Source: San Francisco Examiner | By Jessica Wolfrom

The contentious battle over the future of rooftop solar in California has come to a dramatic conclusion this week as the California Public Utilities Commission voted to approve changes to the way Californians generate and store solar energy in their homes.

“This is a program to benefit homeowners that is paid for by other homeowners and renters,” said Freedman of TURN. “If you are a renter, you basically are excluded from benefiting from the net metering program.”

There is also concern that the new ruling, which doesn’t go into effect until April, will create a run on solar panels before the deadline, with people scrambling to lock in the old rates.

“We’ve characterized it as a gold rush,” said Freedman. “If you let people know they have a certain amount of time to lock into the deal of the century. Then many customers will take it, and the industry will use it as a sales pitch, guaranteed.”