Renova Energy of Coachella Valley joined in the “No to NEM 3.0” rally on Tuesday with its employees to protest the upcoming decision against rooftop solar they expect will drastically impact Californians looking to go solar.
Through this rally, Renova officials said they hoped to raise awareness to the public and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on how the new Net Energy Metering (NEM) 3.0 policy favors the utility companies and not the ratepayers or the solar industry.
"If the utilities get their way, NEM 3.0 would punish all ratepayers, especially those investing in the utilities' infrastructure, aka rooftop solar,” Emily Langenbahn, Renova Energy policy and public relations manager, said. “People who go solar actually help the grid, but the utilities don't want to pay solar customers for their help or the power they produce. In fact, they want to tax them more with additional charges.”
Langenbahn also called attention to how utilities have a role in wildfires, which each year destroy vast quantities of land and endanger lives.
“California utilities are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in damage for wildfire destruction caused by their outdated infrastructure,” Langenbahn said. “We, as ratepayers, are going to pay that bill."
The rally called the community's attention to the damaging impact NEM 3.0 would have on rooftop solar.
"We are here to inform our community about a ridiculous rule that the utilities are trying to get passed and the governor looks like he may sign … It's called Net Metering 3.0 and it would absolutely put the kibosh on rooftop solar, so we're here to draw attention to that,” Renova Energy Founder and CEO Vince Battaglia said at the rally. “If anyone wants more information, they can get a hold of me or anyone at Renova Energy, and we will be sure to give you the download on what's happening and how it will affect you if you have solar, even if you don't have solar."
If the proposed changes to the new NEM 3.0 policy go through, existing solar customers will be grandfathered into their original net metering policy, but there will be much fewer benefits for new owners who want to switch to solar. Utilities are recommending two fees for solar customers that, combined, could mean an added expense of more than $100 per month on average for new solar customers with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), according to the CPUC website.
Among the changes to the existing NEM program from the initial proposal is renaming NEM as “net billing,” covering all customers of PG&E, SCE and SDG&E who install solar after implementation. A significant cost included in the proposal is a monthly grid participation charge of $8 per kilowatt (kW) of solar. This would be added to the bills of all people who go solar after implementation of the new rules, costing the average homeowner almost $600 per year, or $15,000 over 25 years.
The plan could also increase payback times for the average homeowner to as many as 12.2 years for non-low-income customers and up to 18.6 years for low-income customers. Currently, the payback period is five to seven years for cash purchases, the CPUC reports on its fact sheet.
Renova was not alone in its rallying to create awareness. On the same day as the Renova rally, California's solar and battery advocacy group, California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA), also hosted a protest in Sacramento outside the Capitol, the Coachella Valley Times previously reported.
The Valley’s leading solar installation company, Renova Energy is an award-winning company with expertise installing solar systems and batteries that withstand harsh desert conditions and produce maximum savings. The company employs over 300 people who installed 11,502 kW of solar power in 2021.