California's Comments

CALSEIA's FIT legislation, SB 32 is moving and we are working toward enactment this year. This is a reintroduction of the FIT bill sponsored by CALSEIA in 2008 (SB 1714). Letters of support can be emailed to info@calseia.org.

Sue Kateley, CALSEIA Executive Director

CALSEIA is advocating that all of the California municipal financing programs include energy efficiency, solar water heating, and photovoltaics to ensure that customers are able to acquire the energy improvements that are the best fit for their particular site and energy bills. The Berkeley program was a demonstration program exclusively for PV (I believe it was about 40 systems that were financed - the program closed to new customers on the day it opened, it's my understanding that no financing is currently avaiable in Berkeley).

Palm Desert, CA finances efficiency, solar water heating, and PV (as well as other energy technologies). There's a lot going on - many cities in California are in the process of following Berkeley's example - including limiting the program to PV only. There's also a joint power authority program underway that will provide cities a 'turn-key' program. It's my understanding that the JPA will include efficiency and solar water heating, which is a big step forward!

One word of caution: our industry experience in Berkeley was that press releases announcing that a program WILL be forthcoming chills sales in that area because customers who hear about the program will wait until the program is available.

Tam correctly states that CCA are about local control. But one should not assume that a CCA will result expanding the use of solar technologies. Local solar companies should actively partipiate in the formation of CCAs as they will impact your local solar business (could be good, might not be good).

CALSEIA recently took a position on a CCA proposed in Marin County, California. The position paper can be viewed here: http://calseia.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/calseia-position_marin-clean-energy-plan.pdf and we are working with the Marin CCA advocates to address our concerns about the potential impact on the local solar industry.

CALSEIA is advocating for a Feed in Tariff in California - look for the article in next week's Renewable Energy Access!

CALSEIA is just starting to get involved in CCAs and has not yet taken a formal position on the various proposed CCAs. They are potentially good but there are concerning details.

For example, Marin's proposal would rely on using renewable energy for 25% of its electricity needs and plans only 13MW of distributed renewable generation by 2017. The CCA calls this "light green." Electricity from renewables would increase to 50% renewables by 2014 (presumably renewable generation located outside of the County?).

The Marin CCA is specific to electricity so it does not address opportunities to reduce natural gas demand and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through solar thermal.

One issue that has been raised to CALSEIA's attention is that if customers believe that the CCA is using renewables they might just "check the box" on the bill instead of purchasing a renewable project for their site.

CALSEIA recommends solar business owners get involved in these proposals as they will impact your livelihoods - good or not so good. Working with the CCAs early in their development may help avoid unintended consequences.