solar panels on the rooftop and another $15,000
to install storage systems. Customers who have
storage systems — only a fraction of the overall
rooftop solar market — can store the extra energy
they make during the day for use at night.
The more customers who have solar storage, the
fewer people need to rely on the energy grid —
and fossil fuels — during the evening. The state
has set a goal of generating all retail electricity
from renewable or zero-carbon sources by 2045.
Under the state’s plan, customers who already
have rooftop solar will have access to a $3,200
subsidy to install storage.
Regulators also propose creating a $600 million
fund to help low income households afford solar
and storage.
A five-member commission will vote on the final
PUC reform proposal, likely in January.
The solar industry had warned a dramatic
decrease in financial incentives would entice
fewer people to add solar panels to their homes,
jeopardizing the market and hurting the state’s
ability to reach its clean energy goals.
It now takes about three to four years for
homeowners to recoup installation costs by
selling extra energy to the utilities, according to
the utilities. The utilities proposed lowering the
amount of money solar customers get back so
it would take 11 to 15 years for homeowners to
recover their costs. They also proposed charges
that would have added at least $70 per month to
solar customers’ bills.
The Utility Reform Network, a consumer advocacy
group that frequently clashes with the utilities
over rates, also wanted to lower what households
with solar panels are paid back for excess energy