It looks like California is going from solar leader to solar loser.
A year after regulators at the state Public Utilities Commission voted to gut the successful incentive program that has helped put more than 1.8 million solar systems on homes and businesses, the consequences are becoming distressingly clear.
Preliminary data from the rooftop solar industry show a steep drop in installations and widespread job losses since April. That's when the PUC's changes to the net energy metering program took effect, slashing the compensation new solar customers receive for the excess power they feed into the grid.
The commission sided with utilities, organized labor and consumer advocates who argued that incentives were so generous that solar customers weren't paying their fair share to maintain the power grid, raising electricity rates for lower-income households and renters.
It's not a surprise that eviscerating the financial incentives for consumers to invest in solar power would cause sales to plummet. But it's still incredibly disappointing to see the outcome of state regulators' wrecking-ball approach play out so predictably.
Keeping solar financially viable and affordable for as many Californians as possible to generate renewable energy on their homes, apartments, businesses, schools and churches isn't too much to ask. It's an imperative for our planet.