California appeals court to hear arguments on NEM 3.0 on December 13

A California appeals court panel will hear oral arguments at 9:30 a.m. PT on Wednesday, December 13, in a lawsuit challenging the state’s new rooftop solar policy. The policy, approved by the California Public Utilities Commission and effective April 15, significantly slashes the credit new solar users get for sharing their extra solar energy with the grid. The hearing will be livestreamed.

California’s new net metering policy slashes customer credits by up to 80% for electricity generated on rooftops and sold back to the grid. The new policy has led to huge layoffs and business closures in the solar industry. According to the Center, it also violated state law, which requires that any policies ensure the rooftop solar market keeps growing, particularly in environmental justice communities.

In May, the Center for Biological Diversity, The Protect Our Communities Foundation and the Environmental Working Group petitioned the California Court of Appeal to review the policy after the commission rejected the group’s appeal in January.

The petition says the commission ignored a host of rooftop solar benefits, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, resilience to extreme weather and power outages and decreasing the need for utility transmission lines. It also says for-profit utilities across the country are trying to gut rooftop solar programs because distributed energy resources, like rooftop solar, threaten the utility business model.

News item from The Center for Biological Diversity