New Solar Bills Introduced

Another win for solar in California. September 5th, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a financial protections for rooftop solar panel installations. The law, AB 1208, extends a prohibition on cities and counties taxing the energy generated by rooftop solar panels for use by homeowners and businesses.

Cities and counties can tax utility services, such as electricity, as one potential source of local revenues. Since 2013, the energy generated by rooftop solar panels has been explicitly exempt from what is called the “Utility Users Tax” also known as the “UUT.” The pre-existing exemption was set to expire on December 31, 2019, but the AB 1208 extended it another seven years.

California isn’t the only state moving in the right direction, September 9th, 2019, two U.S. Senators, Democrat Martin Heinrich from New Mexico and Republican Susan Collins from Maine, introduced the American Energy Opportunity Act. The Act will provide voluntary assistance and tools for local governments to simplify, standardize and automate sources of renewable energy permitting for residents and businesses while enhancing safety.

This bill will simplify going solar and reduce costs of solar while helping communities reduce their administrative burdens, attract business investments, and promote economic development and job creation.

Senator Heinrich said, “If we truly want economical clean energy at a local level, we need to streamline the permitting process for distributed energy technologies like rooftop solar.” 

And Senator Collins states; “This bill, coupled with the BEST Act we introduced earlier this year to promote next-generation energy storage, holds the potential to unleash the promise of clean, renewable energy throughout the country.”

How do you think these solar bills will impact the solar industry? Comment below and let us know!

Want to go Solar? See how much you can save before the installer comes out by using the HaHaSmart price checker tool and you can customize your solar-powered system with the design DIY tool.