The California Senate has approved the legislations by Senator Patricia Wiggins to support residential and commercial producers of solar power. The bill (SB) 7 has been approved that enable utility providers to allow customers who produce their own solar power to overturn unused energy credits for up to two years. The senate has also approved another bill (SB 542) for solar power installations and energy efficiency in apartments, commercial buildings, and manufactured homes.
The senate approval allows moving the bills to the assembly for further consideration.
SB 7: The current law authorizes a customer of a utility provider to sell solar power to the utility provider to offset the cost of his/her electric bill. This is called as net-energy metering.
If the customer generates solar power to cover their electrical use, the customer owes nothing on their bill at the end of the year. If the customer produces less solar power than the electricity consumed, at the end of the year the customer owes the utility provider money.
Wiggins said, the problem is that a utility customer can also produce more solar power than they use, but the utility provider doesn’t have to pay the customer anything at the end of the year.
“This is kind of like having frequent flyer miles that you can never cash out or use,” Wiggins said. “And it sends the wrong message to consumers about the importance of energy conservation.”
The legislation is supported by Recolte Energy, California Farm Bureau Federation, City of Calistoga, City of Oakland, David Arthur Vineyards, Family Winemakers of California, Far Niente, Napa Valley Vintners, Peter A. & Vernice H. Gasser Foundation, Redwood Empire Chapter of the US Green Building Council, Schramsberg, Sustainable Napa County, The Wine Institute and Vintage High School.
SB 542: Rate payers make up about 43% of California households. SB 542 sought to eliminate barriers to install solar on manufactured homes by requiring the PUC to inform installers about permitting processes.
Wiggins said, “the incentives for energy efficiency, and solar power, aren’t cost effective for either the tenant, or the landlord, in many instances.”
This bill requires the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to meet these issues and barriers, so that all ratepayers who pay into the state’s solar initiative and energy efficiency programs can benefit from the programs.
The bill SB 542 is co-authored by Senator Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks).