Comment Log Display

In consulting with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power,
the following gap in the Cap and Trade Investment Plan was
communicated, as the public utility plans for the expansion of
solar access to low-income customers and disadvantaged communities
via proposed programs such as the Community Solar Program.  

The identified gap is targeted at multi-family housing for all
income segments and community solar for all income segments with a
special need to support adoption of disadvantaged community
households. Currently California investor-owned utilities (IOUs)
have access to resources unavailable to municipal utilities,
allowing the IOUs to contribute more effectively towards efforts in
reducing greenhouse gas. Separate from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Fund, the California Solar Initiative (CSI) began in January 2007,
with a budget of $2,367 million dollars. The CSI is overseen by the
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and provides
incentives for solar installations to customers of California’s
three IOUs.  Under this program, the CPUC established the
Single-Family Affordable Solar Homes Program (SASH) and the
Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing Program (MASH), targeting
incentives for low-income residents.  However, these programs and
funding are ONLY available to residents living in IOU territory. 
Municipal utilities require similar funding to provide relief for
residents in their districts and to contribute equally to GHG
reduction efforts. 

Less than 10% of Los Angeles residents are able to take advantage
of current solar incentives. According to the US Census Bureau,
less than 35% of residents in Los Angeles own their own homes and,
according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, only 22 to
27% of residential rooftops are suitable for hosting solar systems.
This percentage drops significantly for low-income residents. In
addition, the Cap-and-Trade Second Investment Plan highlights
California’s goal of achieving Zero Net Energy for new residential
construction by 2020.  This goal becomes unfeasible when less than
a quarter of residents can host rooftop solar. 

Directed by SB 535, CalEPA, through the Office of Environmental
Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), identified Los Angeles as the
most pollution-burdened and vulnerable region in all five methods
of study in its California Communities Environmental Health
Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen).  Despite exhibiting the greatest
need for restoration, the most burdened communities of Los Angeles
are unable to access any funds specific for low-income renewable
energy.  

To fulfill the vision of a renewable California, we recommend that
a portion of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund be reserved for
providing renewable energy to disadvantaged residents through
community based solar programs.