All Politics is Solar: SunRun Takes Action Against Proposition 23

October 18th, 2010 by Tina Casey

The California based solar power financing company SunRun has leaped front and center into the fight against Proposition 23, the upcoming ballot measure that would effectively dismantle the state’s thriving alternative energy sector. At last week’s Solar Power International conference, SunRun joined with other alternative energy companies to urge voters to take action against Prop 23, with “No on Prop 23″ booth signs and voter information, and by organizing phone banks and donating thousands of dollars to the No on Prop 23 Committee.

Out-of-State Money and Proposition 23

Out-of-state oil companies have poured millions of dollars into California in order to promote Proposition 23, and little wonder about that. If California was a country it would have one of the world’s biggest economies, and it recently enacted legislation (Assembly Bill 32) that would help make alternative energy the driving force behind its economy, in direct competition with oil. Quite simply, Proposition 23 protects out-of-state oil companies from competition in this major market.

Chambers of Commerce and Proposition 23

In contrast to Proposition 23, AB32 was designed to promote California businesses and create more jobs in the state, so one would imagine that the California Chamber of Commerce would be among those leading the charge against Proposition 23. However, though some local Chambers have been vociferous in opposition, the California Chamber officially declared itself neutral on Prop 23. The president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spoke at a recent clean energy summit and seemed to imply that the U.S. Chamber is also neutral, but if you’ve been following the U.S. Chamber’s position on climate change and its partisan political activity attacking candidates who are likely to support alternative energy you’d have to take that with a giant-sized grain of salt. The U.S. Chamber has launched attack ads against the incumbent senator in California, who is opposed to Proposition 23, and endorsed the challenger, who supports Prop 23.

Alternative Energy Companies and Proposition 23

SunRun’s “No on Prop 23″ fundraising effort is small potatoes compared to the oil money and U.S. Chamber of Commerce financing behind the ballot measure, but of course they are not alone. Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, is urging industry members to join the group and contribute to its political action committee. Meanwhile, leading utility companies and other major corporations are quitting the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over its climate change activities, and state chambers are also starting to see their membership bleed over partisan political endorsements. It’s an interesting shift for the environmental movement, which back in the day used to consist of fights between citizen groups and corporate polluters. Now it’s an inter-business battle and Proposition 23 is only the beginning.

Image: California sun by *-Dawn-* on flickr.com.

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Tags: AB32, California, Proposition 23, sunrun, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

About the Author

Tina Casey Tina Casey specializes in military and corporate sustainability, advanced technology, emerging materials, biofuels, and water and wastewater issues. Tina’s articles are reposted frequently on Reuters, Scientific American, and many other sites. Views expressed are her own. Follow her on Twitter @TinaMCasey and Google+.

http://cleantechnica.com/author/susan Susan Kraemer

Finally solar companies are starting to mobilize! I’ve always been dismayed by the feeble lobbying by both AWEA and SEIA and Solar Nation.

Since we unfortunatley live in a corrupt plutocracy our side needs to organize and fight the fossil energy industry dollar for dollar.
- http://cleantechnica.com/author/susan Susan Kraemer
  
  Fatfingered it! “Unfortunately”
Earl Richards

The California Jobs Initiative (CJI) is an oil corporation farce and fraud. There is no connection, whatsoever, between greenhouse gas emission reduction and the loss of jobs. This notion is an insult to the intelligence of the people of California. In fact, there is job growth in the clean, renewable eneregy industry. Chevron employs 65,000 worldwide and CJI is not going to change this. The only jobs created by the oil industry are clean-up jobs after oil spills and deep water, blow-outs and pump-handler jobs. CJI will make fantastic profits for the oil industry, increse air pollution, especially in communities around their refineries and there will not be lower gas prices. Valero, Koch Industries and Tesoro are super Enrons. Since when did the oil companies start to show any concern for the unemployed and their families and for the consumer. Occidental, Shell, BP, Exxon Mobil and Chevron are silent partners in CJI.