Statement from Derek Chernow, Western Regional Director for the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA), on the California Public Utility Commission’s (CPUC) revised proposed decision on the future of the state’s community solar program:
“The revised proposed decision (PD) doubles down on supporting the broken proposal from the state’s utilities and would make California’s community solar program dead on arrival. It will not result in the development of new projects as envisioned by AB 2316 and will continue to leave California with no functional community solar program.
The revised PD fundamentally misunderstands the value community solar can bring to California’s grid and the necessary role it can and needs to play in helping the state achieve its clean energy and equity objectives. It relies on one-time federal taxpayer money to subsidize an unworkable program instead of choosing a proven model that leverages private capital and risk to serve hundreds of thousands of income-qualified customers and small businesses.
It also once again ignores the will of the California Legislature and the broad coalition of ratepayers, equity, environmental, labor, and business groups who have demanded a functional community solar program.
California should be seizing this once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a vibrant market. We urge the CPUC to slow down and take the additional time necessary to get this important decision right.”
CCSA is a national trade association representing over 125 community solar developers, businesses, and nonprofits. Together, we are building the electric grid of the future where every customer has the freedom to support the generation of clean, local solar energy to power their lives. Through legislative and regulatory advocacy, and the support of a diverse coalition — including advocates for competition, clean energy, ratepayers, landowners, farmers, and environmental justice — we enable policies that unlock the potential of distributed energy resources, starting with community solar. For more information, visit https://www.communitysolaraccess.org and follow the group on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and Youtube.