🌏 Our June Meeting is Tonight: The Future of Rooftop Solar in California

Join us tonight for our June meeting where we will host a discussion on the future of rooftop solar in California, which is currently at a critical crossroads. We have a great panel of speakers planned for this important topic.

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Hollyhocks in San Diego County

Warm Greetings Environmental Democrats,

Just a friendly reminder that the club's June meeting will take place tonight, starting at 6:30 p.m. The evening's discussion will focus on a particularly critical topic: the future of residential rooftop solar.

As shocking as it may seem that rooftop solar could be in jeopardy at a time when the impacts of climate change are a more serious a threat than ever, that's precisely the case thanks to politicians from San Diego to Sacramento who lack the political will, courage, integrity, or desire to do what's right for the future of the state, the planet and their constituents.

At this point, without continued heroic efforts by climate activists and rooftop solar owners, the future of this critical renewable energy source may be bleak at best for California's residential and commercial customers. Investor-owned utilities (such as SDG&E here in San Diego) have long been hostile to the rooftop solar industry, distributed storage, and net metering. And unsurprisingly, California politicians have become increasingly receptive to the messaging of such investor owned utilities and their lobbyists.

<<Zoom Link for Tonight's Meeting>>

AB-1139, yet another misguided bill from Lorena Gonzalez, is a prime example of this. Narrowly defeated, the bill drew strong opposition from environmentalists and solar industry officials because it would have changed the state’s net metering system, including lowering the rates utilities pay for rooftop solar generated by homeowners. Adding insult to injury, the bill would have instituted steep grid access fees for homeowners with solar panels ranging from $50 to $80 per month. Thankfully this disastrous bill, which punished homeowners for trying to be proactive and do the right thing to help the planet, was defeated. As Tara Hammond, of Hammond Climate Solutions noted in a KPBS report on the bill's defeat:

"Activists, through events, through phone calls, through meetings, really helped shape the narrative and show the true negative impacts this bill would’ve had on our community,” Hammond said.

But the battle is far from over. We're now heading into ominous hearings on net metering 3.0 before the California Public Utilities Commission, which is notoriously friendly to investor owned utilities. CPUC is currently reviewing 17 proposals that would change how rooftop generated electricity is paid for. Regulators could decide on these changes to the state's net metering system by the end of the year.

Rooftop solar needs our help now more than ever, so we hope you'll tune in tonight for the club meeting. At the core of this issue is the effort to expand and accelerate rooftop solar adoption and the need to resolve inequities that have plagued our public solar investments and climate investments more broadly.

<<Zoom Link for Tonight's Meeting>>

Please join us for an informative panel on the history and the future of efforts to make rooftop solar more equitable, accessible, and ubiquitous.

We will also have the honor of hosting an update from one of San Diego's leading environmental champions, District 1 San Diego City Councilmember Joe LaCava.

Register and sign-in for tonight's meeting here. We hope to see you there!

Join Or Renew With Us Today

Annual dues are about to come up for renewal. Now is the time to check your membership status and renew!

San Diego County Democrats for Environmental Action is the largest environmentally-focused Democratic club in Southern California. From the oceans to our deserts and urban environments, we take a stand against the polluters, the pillagers, and poachers -- so that the next generation can live healthfully in a region that still retains natural beauty and biological diversity.

The advocacy we do with other organizations and with our elected officials is vital to implementing important conservation measures, addressing environmental justice issues affecting urban communities, and enacting meaningful changes that move us toward a 100% renewable energy future.

Our strength is in our numbers. We depend on your membership to amplify our voice and your participation within the club is needed to provide direction for the actions we take in our advocacy, activities, the resolutions that we adopt and promote, and volunteer work for endorsed political candidates who stand with us on the issues. General memberships are still just $25 for a full year, $40 for couples. If you are able to, consider joining or renewing at our Patron or Sustaining member levels. We now use WildApricot for processing payments and managing our club membership -- go to https://sddfea.wildapricot.org / to be a valued part of our movement!

Together we are making a difference.

We hope to see your smiling faces on Zoom this Wednesday!

Cody Petterson

President

Mia Taylor

Communications Director

Richard Ram
Vice President for Programs and Outreach

Board Members

Cody Petterson, president
Richard Ram, vice president for programs and outreach
Kevin Lourens, vice president for political action
Bridger Langfur, vice president for policy
Lauren Bier, secretary
Jerry Boggs, fundraising
Courtney Ransom, membership
Galena Robertson, treasurer
Mia Taylor, director of communications
Rick Guerrero, board member at-large
Kathryn Burton, board member at-large
David Engel, board member at-large
Brandon Coopersmith, board member at-large
Czeska Cabuhat, board member at-large
Vianna Ledesma, board member at-large

Photo Credits
Hollyhock flower image by Mia Taylor
Rooftop solar image courtesy Mint

Chartered in 2014, San Diego County Democrats for Environmental Action seeks to foster active interest in the Democratic Party, encourage greater support of the California Democratic Party environmental platform, contribute to party leadership and responsibility, provide a constructive role for volunteers in Democratic politics, promote an activist base, and assist and enable Democratic candidates to run, and win, on environmental and conservation principles.

Copyright © 2021 San Diego County Democrats for Environmental Action, all rights reserved.

Mailing address: P.O. Box 16254, San Diego, CA 92176
Contact us: sandiegoenvirodems@gmail.com
Join us: https://sddfea.wildapricot.org/

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