Kicking off its largest fundraising campaign in history, the California Solar & Storage Association (CALSSA) has announced a goal of raising $1 million dollars in September to defend California’s position as the country’s leading solar and storage market.
With California’s cornerstone clean energy policy, Net Energy Metering (NEM), under an unprecedented assault from some of the country’s biggest utility and natural gas companies, CALSSA has put together a robust plan that includes legal counsel, paid advertising and petition gathering among many other activities to defend California’s distributed energy industry. However, this all comes with a hefty price tag, so the association is asking members and solar supporters from across the industry to pitch in to keep California’s solar and storage market alive.
“California’s world-renowned solar market is under siege by some of the country’s most powerful fossil fuel industry players,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of the California Solar and Storage Association. “We can win but we need everyone to stand up and help us fight.”
Activities the association will invest in include generating 200,000 public comments, field organizing, paid media and a full suite of top-of-the-line legal representation. Investor-owned utilities are pushing for monthly fees of on average $78 per solar household, reducing the credit consumers receive for surplus solar electricity sent back to the grid on summer days by 77% and making solar all but uneconomical for disadvantaged communities that are the most needing of reliable clean energy and storage as the state faces massive fires and power shut-offs. The California Public Utility Commission may rule on NEM by the end of the year, making the next several months critical for CALSSA’s efforts.
“One million dollars in one month may seem like a lot, but it’s a drop in the bucket to what is at stake for our companies and the jobs we support,” said Del Chiaro.
Companies wanting to contribute to CALSSA’s Solar & Storage Defense Fund can go here to make a donation or reach out to josh@calssa.org to discuss giving options.
News item from CALSSA
