Three actions you can take to save California solar

This month is pivotal in the fight to save rooftop solar in California. And we’re calling on you to take simple, yet meaningful, steps to stand up for the policies that make this indispensable form of clean energy production affordable and accessible to countless Californians.   

A plan proposed by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) last month would mean slashing the state’s landmark solar incentive program and imposing a $57 monthly fee on solar panel owners. 

The impact from these changes would be devastating. In fact, we’ve already seen what these sorts of policies have done to rooftop solar elsewhere in the country. Quite simply, when pro-solar policies are cut back or removed altogether, rooftop solar adoption plummets. For example, when Nevada cut its solar incentive program, residential solar installations fell by 47% in the following year. 

We can’t let the CPUC waylay solar growth in the Golden State. That’s why we’re calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to defend rooftop solar by taking action to press the CPUC to reconsider these plans. 

But we can’t do this alone. Here are three ways that you can help us defend rooftop solar in California right now:

Call the Governor’s Office

We’re generating as many calls into Gov. Newsom’s office as possible to ensure rooftop solar is a priority. Gov. Newsom’s office phone number is 916-445-2841, and his office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT. 

Here’s a sample of what you can say on behalf of rooftop solar:

“My name is ___ and I live in ____. I am against the proposed Solar Penalty Fee and I’m against slashing the value of rooftop solar 80%! Nobody should pay a penalty for putting solar panels on their roof and California should be doing more, not less, to promote rooftop solar. Please get your Public Utilities Commission to revisit their draft rule so that rooftop solar can keep growing in California.”

Raise your voice on social media on and after Jan. 13

Jan. 13 is an especially important day to make your voice heard. Advocates at Environment California, along with many other environmental groups, are testifying at a CPUC hearing. Additionally, activists from all across the state are rallying in support of solar energy growth. 

You can join us by raising your voice on social media.

By posting to the social media channel of your choice, you can show your support for California rooftop solar virtually. Tag Gov. Gavin Newsom to let him know that pro-solar policies are important to Californians. 

Submit a letter to the editor of your local paper 

Letters to the editor are quick, effective ways to get your voice published where your friends, neighbors and local leaders can see it. We’ve developed a handy tool that will make it simple to draft and submit your letter. 

This CPUC decision could spell disaster for California’s clean energy goals, which include getting to 100% renewable electricity as fast as possible. We’re urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to stand up for California rooftop solar. His sway with the CPUC is our best shot at preserving pro-solar policies that benefit everyone.

Your voice is loudest on the local level, and we know the more California voices there are standing up for solar in local papers across the state, the more likely Gov. Newsom will act. 

Check out our online letter to the editor tool to write and submit a letter to your local paper.

Magnify your impact by encouraging family and friends to participate

Your action can make a difference, but the more people we can get taking action, the better. 

Calling Gov. Newsom’s office, posting on social media and submitting a letter to the editor are meaningful actions all on their own. But if you can get three friends to join you in participating, you can triple your impact. 

Our collective action can reap real results, but we all need to take the first step. These three actions, which you can complete with a simple dial of your phone and a few clicks of your computer mouse, are a great place to start.

Let’s stand together to defend rooftop solar in California.