The California Assembly passed legislation in late August by a 42:7 vote that would allow schools and apartment buildings to use solar energy they generate onsite, instead of having to buy it back from utilities. SB 1374, authored by state Sen. Josh Becker, would reinstate rights that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) took away from Californians in 2023. Until then, Californian utility customers such as schools could use the solar energy they generate on one electric meter, like their parking lot, to power their separately-metered buildings, making full use of their own energy and avoiding higher utility bills.

California has significant potential to generate more clean electricity from rooftop solar panels; we’ve only taken advantage of about 10% of our state’s rooftop solar potential. Passing this bill will re-incentivize on-site rooftop solar installations, thereby accelerating California’s transition to clean energy and letting schools and renters enjoy the many benefits of solar panels, including less pollution and lower electricity bills.

In response, Steven King, Environment California’s clean energy advocate, released the following statement:

“Every utility customer should have the opportunity to use the power they generate from the sun on their rooftops. It’s only fair that schools and renters have the same options as homeowners to benefit from solar energy generated on-site. Restoring the ability of schools and apartment buildings to consume their own solar power will incentivize more solar installations and usage to replace fossil fuels, thereby protecting our environment from air pollution, reducing utility bills and making communities more resistant to power shut-offs and blackouts.”

News item from Environment California