Thoughts on Solar

Facing a growing drumbeat of faux-populist attacks organized by the investor-owned utilities, a coalition of major players in the solar leasing industry has been announced to offer a coordinated resistance. Resistance is important, but it remains to be seen whether this alliance will actually represent the interests of the solar industry as a whole.

Yesterday we learned  (h/t Susan Frank) of the formation of The Alliance for Solar Choice, which described itself thusly:

The nation’s leading rooftop solar companies today announced the formation of The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC).  TASC believes anyone should have the option to switch from utility power to distributed solar power.  Founding members represent the majority of the U.S. rooftop solar market and include SolarCity, Sungevity, Sunrun and Verengo.

TASC is committed to protecting the choice for distributed solar.  Most immediately, TASC will focus on ensuring the continuation of Net Energy Metering (NEM).  Currently in place in 43 states, NEM provides solar consumers with fair credit for the energy they put back on the grid, which utilities then sell to other customers.  In simple terms, NEM is like rollover minutes on your cell phone bill.  Monopoly utilities are trying to eliminate NEM to halt the consumer-driven popularity of rooftop solar, which is helping create thousands of local jobs around the country.

The website is bare-bones in the extreme - the only information to be found is the single press release.  No links to other supporters, not even a list of member companies beyond the four mentioned.  (There is a link to their Twitter page - with the somewhat unfortunately chosen “TASC_master” handle.)

Now there are literally thousands of solar companies across the country who are threatened by the push by utilities to roll back or eliminate net metering.  Why aren’t any of them included in this “alliance"?  How about a little outreach to the little guys, eh? For the moment we will suspend further judgment as we wait to see how this nascent alliance conducts itself.  Certainly having well-financed entities engaging in serious lobbying efforts could be a powerful countervailing force in the battles ahead. Time will tell.