After many months of solar industry protests, the California Solar & Storage Association (CALSSA) is expecting the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to release its proposed decision on net metering in the state of California on or before September 29. Based on the 90-day window that began with the July 1, 2022 deadline for intervenor comments on the CPUC proceeding on net metering, a new proposed decision is expected to be released on or before September 29, 2022. The timeline for the new proposed decision is not expected to be changed by a recent procedural ruling extending the statutory deadline for the overall proceeding.
The CPUC issued an initial proposed decision in December 2021 that would have added new grid-use charges and shifted to a net billing structure, which combined would have resulted in lower incentives for rooftop solar customers. In February 2022, after outcry from solar supporters, the new commission president Alice Reynolds asked for more time to analyze the record and consider revisions to the proposed decision on NEM 3.0. A public comment period ensued in May 2022, and CALSSA organized protests to keep advocating against any new solar fees.
Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of CALSSA, issued the following written statement on the anticipated proposed decision deadline:
“Solar consumers, green workers, affordable housing advocates, climate activists and clean energy supporters of all types eagerly await a new proposed decision by the CPUC. Taking unpopular and bad ideas pushed by investor-owned utilities — like a solar tax or drastically reducing net metering credits — off the table cannot come soon enough. With rooftop solar’s vital contribution to reaching California’s clean energy goals, the promise of battery storage for grid reliability, and new federal incentives for going solar, now is not the time to slam the brakes on California’s progress by making solar unaffordable. Instead, we need to keep up our momentum towards bringing affordable rooftop solar and energy storage to more consumers. “
