Community solar can bridge California’s energy affordability gap
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- California's Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications Committee passed AB 1813 on June 16, sending the community solar and storage bill to a full Senate floor vote and a potential signature from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
- Community Choice Aggregation programs serve only about a third of California's electricity consumers through 25 CCAs, leaving roughly two-thirds of state residents — disproportionately renters — without that clean energy pathway.
- Community solar subscribers save an average of $200 per year on utility bills, while the average overdue California utility balance currently sits at $1,120, according to the op-ed's figures.
- AB 1813's guardrails include individual project deployment caps and an overall program cap, and would require more than half of new community solar projects to serve low-income customers; subscribers would not need rooftops, equipment, or long-term contracts.
- A distribution-grid study cited in the piece found adding community solar and storage to California would obviate $2 billion in transmission and distribution upgrades, with the full program projected to save ratepayers $6.5 billion in energy costs.
- A recent poll found 80% of Californians support community solar, with backing from a broad coalition including the homebuilders' association, environmental justice groups, ratepayer advocates, and developers like Renewable America.
Why it matters: If signed, AB 1813 would let roughly two-thirds of Californians currently outside CCA coverage subscribe to local community solar projects and save an average of $200 per year, while the program would save ratepayers $6.5 billion in energy costs by avoiding $2 billion in transmission and distribution upgrades — savings that would extend even to non-subscribers.
