They said the Public Utilities Commission failed to consider all the benefits of rooftop solar and was basically doing the bidding of Edison, PG&E and Sempra Energy subsidiary SDG&E. The agency’s decision infuriated many environmental groups, several of which sued to have it overturned. Newsom’s appointees were persuaded by the monopoly utility companies - and several other groups, as I’ll discuss shortly - that the costs of the solar program were fueling higher energy bills for millions of families who couldn’t afford rooftop panels.
The state’s five-member Public Utilities Commission voted a year ago this week to slash compensation for customers of Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric who chose to install solar panels starting in April. For years, it has required utility companies to compensate solar-powered homes and businesses for the electricity they generate. Wednesday’s courtroom arguments - which began less than 12 hours after nearly 200 countries agreed on a flawed but useful plan to ratchet down planet-warming pollution - centered on a California program called net energy metering. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
