Over 100 California city, county government leaders ask CPUC to reject new solar fees

City and county government leaders from across California are urging the CPUC and Gov. Gavin Newsom to reject new solar fees proposed by utilities at the California Public Utilities Commission. More than two dozen city governments, 43 mayors and 40 city or county councilmembers from across the Golden State have signed on to support protection of the solar industry and oppose the attempt by utilities to impose a solar tax and slash the net-metering credit for California consumers.

The CPUC closed public comment on its Net Energy Metering (NEM) proposal on Friday, July 1. Records show that several municipal leaders, mayors, city and government councils and official city resolutions have weighed in citing rising inflation, local climate impact and solar industry growth in their pleas to continue rooftop solar.

Despite the overwhelming popularity of rooftop solar and net metering in California, the CPUC is considering a proposed decision to implement a monthly solar penalty tax while also slashing credits consumers receive for their excess solar energy.

“The CPUC and Governor Newsom should listen to what local leaders across our state clearly want on behalf of their constituents: more local solar and batteries,” said Dave Rosenfeld, executive director of the Solar Rights Alliance. “This statewide solar tax would destroy the momentum these California communities have so successfully started.”

The comments will be considered by the CPUC before commissioners vote on the proposal, which could come as soon as late July.

“The Oakland City Council supports protecting and expanding rooftop solar via a strong succeeding NEM tariff and expanding clean energy access by making it easier, not costlier, for people to adopt rooftop solar and related energy storage.” – one comment from the Oakland City Council.

The 100+ additional city and county governments and local elected officials supporting rooftop solar include:

• City of San Diego
• City of Berkeley
• City of Imperial Beach
• City of Richmond
• City of Sebastopol
• City of Solana Beach
• City of Encinitas
• City of El Cerrito
• City of Palm Springs
• City of Desert Hot Springs
• City of Hayward
• City of Hawthorne
• Town of Fairfax
• City of Indian Wells
• City of Palm Desert
• County of Los Angeles
• Coachella Valley Association of Governments
• Diablo Water District
• Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors
• Mendocino County Board of Supervisors
• Alan Nagy, Mayor, City of Newark
• Alma Beltran, Mayor, Parlier
• Ann Schneider, Mayor, Millbrae
• Bruce Ackerman, Mayor, Fairfax
• Barbara Halliday, Mayor, Hayward
• Charles Stone, Mayor, Belmont
• Claudia Bill-de la Peña, Mayor, Thousand Oaks
• Christy Gilbert Holstege, Esq., Mayor, Palm Springs
• Daniel Lee, Vice Mayor, Culver City
• Darrell Steinberg, Mayor, Sacramento
• Drew Boyles, Mayor, El Segundo
• Eli Beckman, Mayor, Corte Madera
• Emmanuel Estrada, Mayor, Baldwin Park
• Jaime Tarne, Mayor, Etna
• James Campbell, Mayor, Belvedere
• Jerry Dyer, Mayor, Fresno
• Jesse Arreguin, Mayor, Berkeley
• Kathy Ward, Mayor, San Clemente
• Libby Schaaf, Mayor, Oakland
• Mary Casillas Salas, Mayor, City of Chula Vista
• Maryann Moise Derwin, Mayor, Portola Valley
• Norma Martínez-Rubin, Mayor, City of Pinole
• Pat Furey, Mayor, Torrance
• Pauline Cutter, Mayor, San Leandro
• Paul Fadelli, Mayor, El Cerrito
• Robert Brownstone, Mayor, Half Moon Bay
• Ronald Kott, Mayor, Rio Vista
• Sam Liccardo, Mayor, San Jose
• Serge Dedina, Mayor, Imperial Beach
• Sofia Rubalcava, Mayor, City of Ventura
• Steve Young, Mayor, Benicia
• Steven Vargas, Mayor, Brea
• Teresa Barrett, Mayor, Petaluma
• Terry Gaasterland, Mayor, City of Del Mar
• Vicente Sarmiento, Mayor, Santa Ana
• Artemio Villegas, Mayor Pro Tem City Council #6, Madera
• Bobby Duncan, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Yucaipa
• Gabriel Quinto, Mayor Pro Tem, El Cerrito
• Victor Aguilar, Vice Mayor, San Leandro
• Wes Speake, Vice Mayor, Corona
• Paul Grisanti, Mayor, Malibu
• Shawn Kumagai, Vice Mayor, City of Dublin
• San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson
• Alexandre Monteiro, Councilmember, City of Hawthorne
• Alison Hicks, Councilmember, Mountain View City
• Bill Baber, City Councilmember, La Mesa
• Chris Duncan, City Councilmember, San Clemente
• Claudia Jimenez, City Councilmember, Richmond
• Corina Lopez, Councilmember, San Leandro
• Dan Kalb, City Councilmember, Oakland
• David Cohen, Councilmember, San Jose
• Dennis Pocekay, Councilmember, Petaluma City
• Devin Murphy, Councilmember, City of Pinole City
• Ed Hernandez, Former Councilmember, San Leandro
• Eddie Alvarez, Councilmember, Santa Rosa
• Gayle McLaughlin, Councilmember, Richmond City
• J Francisco Zermeño C, Councilmember, City of Hayward
• James Coleman, Councilmember, City of South San Francisco
• Jenny Kenoyer, Councilmember, Modesto
• Joe Patterson, City Councilman, City of Rocklin
• John Friedrich, City Councilmember, South Lake Tahoe
• Jon Willey, City Councilmember, Cupertino
• Justin Massey, City Councilmember, Hermosa Beach
• Kate Harrison, Councilmember, Berkeley City
• Loren Taylor, Councilmember, City of Oakland
• Nelida Mendoza, Councilmember, Santa Ana
• Nithya Raman, City Councilmember, Los Angeles
• Priya Bhat-Patel, Councilmember, Carlsbad
• Raul Campillo, Councilmember, San Diego
• Salvador Solorio-Ruiz, Councilmember, City of Delano
• Sally Lieber, Councilmember, Mountain View
• Susan Wengraf, Councilmember, Berkeley City
• Tony Goodwin, City Councilmember, City of Modesto
• Tony Madrigal, District 2 Councilmember, Modesto City
• Valerie Arkin, Councilmember, City of Pleasanton
• Chris Ricci, Councilmember, District 3, Modesto
• Gregory RAths, Councilman, Mission Viejo
• Greg Bradley, Treasurer, Upland
• Christian Dinco, Councilman, Eastvale
• Myrna Melgar, Supervisor, San Francisco Board of Supervisors
• Candace Andersen, Supervisor, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
• Debra Lucero, Butte County Supervisor – District 2, Chico
• John Hidahl, El Dorado County District 1 Supervisor, Placerville
• Otto Leem, Supervisor, Santa Clara County, San Jose
• Keith Corum, Supervisor, Glenn County, District 4
• Jim Provenza, Chair, Yolo County Supervisors

News item from Save California Solar

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Original Source: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2022/07/over-100-california-city-county-government-leaders-cpuc-reject-new-solar-fees/