Big Energy Fights Solar

Thank you to the Independent for the excellent feature “Is Big Oil Dead in Santa Barbara?”

Let’s hope that our Board of Supervisors denies ExxonMobil‘s continuing attempt to drill and transport oil in our county.

Meanwhile, we face another threat to California’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2045.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) plans to vote in the next few weeks to add a monthly solar penalty fee to ratepayer bills and drastically reduce the credit solar consumers receive for selling excess power back to the grid.

This would make solar too costly for many people, other than the rich. It’s a result of intense lobbying by big utilities, e.g. PG&E and SoCal Edison, fighting to maintain their profits rather than allow citizens to use free, clean energy.

Sound crazy? Sure is. Solar saves money and lessens air pollution and greenhouse gases. Over 2,000 schools, 1,000 farms, 300 apartment buildings and more than a million homes are powered directly by the sun.

Visit www.solarrights.org/SaveCaliforniaSolar to sign the petition to Governor Newsom asking him to deny CPUC’s proposal.