Last week, Leilani Münter took a fast-paced trip through the heart of California to raise awareness of the debate currently underway at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that will determine the fate of the state’s net metering regulation, which is critical to keeping rooftop solar viable in the state. Net metering allows homeowners to feed unused electricity from solar panels to the grid and use electricity whenever they need it, without penalty.
Revoking or altering net metering regulations could have an impact on much of the current installed base of photovoltaic (PV) solar and, more importantly moving forward, future PV solar installations. A similar battle was just lost in Nevada, which has already had a huge impact on the solar industry there, with some companies being forced to pull out of the state completely.
A decision should come in on January 28th, 2016, on the matter in the Golden State, and with California often looked to by other states and nations for leadership on environmental matters, the decision will likely have a ripple effect. Net — we need to take action now. Leilani shared her perspective on the decision at hand:
Leilani with 006 at the California State Capital Building in Sacramento
“California is a national and world leader in solar energy. As the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approaches a final decision on net-metering, it’s important for California to continue to show leadership and not cave to the utility interests.”
Along the way to the capital, Leilani stopped at two schools to talk about solar and encourage the gathered youngsters to explore careers in STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering and Math — all critical fields for the future.
The tour wrapped up with a stop at the state capital, where Leilani and team once again utilized the amazing projection capabilities of the stealth Tesla, dubbed 006, to light up key landmarks across the city. These projections spread messages of awareness and hope for a solar-powered future to local citizens and to the world.
The energizing video below captures the energy of the team, racing against the clock to get the message out before it’s too late.
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