Tag: #SaveSolarJobs

Emergency! Solar bills gutted & high utility bills will follow! Call state legislators TODAY and Monday

Please share widely!

(From Indivisible CA Green Team) On April 17, Assembly Energy Chair Petrie-Norris allowed poison pill amendments to AB 2256 and AB 2619, gutting two great bills that would have required the CPUC to include all the benefits of rooftop solar in their NEM proposal. These amendments were so unacceptable that both authors had to pull their bills.

This coming Wednesday, April 24, we have another shot. AB 2256 is on the agenda, and Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin’s bill – AB 1999, the repeal of the utility tax, needs to be heard, as well.  We need everyone to call Asm Petrie-Norris to pass these 2 bills with no amendments and our own assemblymembers to have them apply pressure! The utilities are doing everything to kill these bills that harm their profits so that our rates can continue to go up with no end in sight. (First post on this issue here.) Note:

  • Everyone, even non-constituents, can call Ass. Petrie-Norris, as she is the chair of the committee.
  • Speak for yourself and/or behalf of any groups you belong to, as either a leader or member. (Indivisible Ventura is one of the 300 nonprofit groups who submitted a letter in support AB 1999)
  • We need many many calls. This is a make or break moment.

Two scripts – 35 seconds each – We timed them!

Continue reading “Emergency! Solar bills gutted & high utility bills will follow! Call state legislators TODAY and Monday” →

Stop the utilities’ money grab! Take rooftop solar back!

We need your calls today and Monday! CA should be a leader in rooftop solar and it should be affordable for everyone!

After our utilities and our CA Public Utility Commission colluded to tank our solar industry and eliminate 17,000 good jobs, a group of state lawmakers are proposing to get rooftop solar growing again while also protecting our right to make solar energy without taxes or penalties. The hearings on this are next week, Tuesday and Wednesday. The utilities are pulling out all stops to kill our important bills, especially AB 1999, the repeal of the utility tax.

Call your state assemblymember and senator to tell them to pass these bills and get rooftop solar growing again.

Continue reading “Stop the utilities’ money grab! Take rooftop solar back!” →

Email Newsom about state taxes on student debt relief and vetoing a bill that hurts our solar industry.

Action #1: Hey, did you know that CA is one of a handful of states that might tax those who receive student debt relief?

While the American Rescue Plan prevents President Biden’s $10k student debt relief from being considered taxable income on federal tax returns until 2025, borrowers in seven states may have to pay state income tax on it, including CA residents.

Contact: Governor Gavin Newsom: email

Minimal script: Dear Governor Newsom, I was surprised to learn that our state was one of only seven that might tax Biden’s student debt relief as additional income. Most people who’ll qualify to have their debts forgiven are low income and many have struggled for decades to make their monthly payments. They shouldn’t have to worry about paying state taxes on the amount that’s forgiven. Please publicly announce that California, which is working to keep college costs down and to increase state financial aid for students, will exempt them from this additional financial burden.

Action #2: The CA legislative session closed on Aug. 31. Now we need to play mop-up and ask Newsom to veto solar-killing bill AB 2143.

Good news first!

  • We killed SB 396 which would have allowed PG&E to cut almost any tree anywhere with no recourse and no oversight, a wasteful and ineffective method to stop wildfires.
  • We killed AB 2667, which would have harmed microgrids we need for resilience and safety in wildfires and blackouts.
  • We killed SB 1385, which would have been a PG&E scam undermining successful solar on multi-family housing programs.
  • We got the Governor to pull out the solar tax in his Diablo bill that did pass and we still need to work to stop, but we stopped the solar tax, for now. 

Now, the issue...

Continue reading “Email Newsom about state taxes on student debt relief and vetoing a bill that hurts our solar industry.” →