California Senate Budget Committee proposes $400 million investment in community solar + storage

• Community solar supporters are applauding the California Senate Budget Committee for proposing a $400 million community solar and storage financial investment in the upgraded Budget and Fiscal Review, launched on May 25.

Earlier this week, a union of environmental as well as environmental justice advocates submitted a letter to legislative leadership, requesting the $400 million appropriation from Clean Energy Reliability Investment Plan (CERIP) funding. The teams particularly prompted the legislature to fund projects that deliver bill savings for low-income consumers and also boost regional reliability in low-income as well as marginalized communities.

Community solar and also storage expands access to affordable solar by permitting all energy clients-- despite housing kind-- to register for a solar array as well as obtain direct credit scores off their utility bills for renewable resource generated. Last September, California passed the landmark Assembly Bill 2316, which opened up a procedure to develop a community solar and also storage program as well as calls for 51% of program capacity to offer low-income consumers. Solar and also equity supporters celebrated the bill's capacity to increase the state's clean energy shift, while bringing economic relief to those struggling with disproportionately high energy bills and also utility financial obligation. While the program is currently being questioned as well as created at the California Public Utilities Commission, advocates are requesting state financing to support enhanced equity benefits of any type of new community solar and also storage program as well as make California extra affordable for protecting funding from the $7 billion "Solar for All" pot solely allocated for expanding solar gain access to for low-income and also deprived communities.

" The $400 million financing will certainly assist us improve the enormous potential of AB 2316, bringing affordable solar and also storage accessible for many more California family members," stated Stephanie Doyle, California Regulatory Director for Vote Solar. "Thank you to the Senate Budget Committee for acknowledging the demand for bold financial investments in fair as well as impactful clean energy options. This commitment will aid California protected federal financial investments that can help increase accessibility and also benefits for even more Californians."

Governor Newsom and the state assembly are currently considering their very own "budget trailer bills," which in California refers to bills that apply policies laid out in the state budget. The bills will be bargained as well as last variations will certainly be elected on prior to the legislative session finishes in September.

" This proposed commitment from the Senate will certainly go a long way in assisting frontline communities to accessibility clean energy. The Governor and the state assembly must follow their lead as well as champion environmental justice by approving a $400 million appropriation from the CERIP funding for community solar and also storage," claimed Alexis Sutterman, energy equity program supervisor at the California Environmental Justice Alliance. "California is far behind other states in community solar and also storage when it ought to be leading. Community solar as well as storage is an important pathway to dependably retire polluting peaker gas plants and also bring bill savings and also improved air quality to low-income and also environmental justice communities."