School buses under a solar carport in California. Credit: Borrego Solar
The California Assembly passed legislation in late August on a 42-7 vote that would allow schools and apartment buildings to use solar energy they generate on site, instead of having to buy it back from utilities. SB 1374, authored by Senator Josh Becker, would restore the rights that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) took away from Californians in 2023. Until then, California utilities, such as schools, could use the solar energy they generate on a single electricity meter. , just like their parking lot, to power their buildings with separate meters, making full use of their own energy and avoiding higher energy bills.
California has significant potential to generate more clean electricity with rooftop solar panels; we have only utilized about 10% of the solar potential on our state’s rooftops. Passage of this bill will reinvigorate on-site rooftop solar installations, accelerating California’s transition to clean energy and helping schools and renters enjoy the many benefits of solar panels, including less pollution and lower electric bills.
In response, Environment California clean energy advocate Steven King released the following statement:
“Every utility customer should have the option to use the power they generate from the sun on their roof. It’s only fair that schools and renters have the same opportunities as homeowners to take advantage of on-site solar energy. Restoring the ability of schools and apartment buildings to use their own solar energy will encourage more solar installations and the use of solar energy to replace fossil fuels, protecting our environment from air pollution, lowering utility bills and benefiting communities become more resilient to power outages and outages. ”
News item from Environment California