SAN FRANCISCO – Sixty-four percent of California voters oppose a power-industry-backed plan by the state’s Public Utilities Commission, or CPUC, to crush a popular rooftop solar program by ending incentives and imposing a hefty monthly tax on solar, a new poll finds.
The survey of 900 voters, released by Newport Beach-based Probolsky Research last week, found clear majorities of Californians across the political spectrum all oppose the CPUC plan. The proposal is backed by the investor-owned utilities Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric.
Only 20 percent of voters in the state support the CPUC-utility plot to hobble the clean energy program, according to the survey.
Probolsky Research President Adam Probolsky said the results of the survey should send a warning to regulators that supporting the proposal to gut the state’s rooftop solar program would be wildly unpopular with virtually every group of residents in California, regardless of political leanings, age, race or region.
“It appears that California regulators are out of touch with the voters on this issue,” said Probolsky. “Voters across the spectrum Democratic, No Party Preference, and Republican oppose these incentive cuts. In fact, in every way of looking at the data, by age, gender, preferred language, and geography, voters align in their opposition to cutting solar incentives.”
“Appeasing PG&E’s plan to pad corporate profits while ignoring the overwhelming demands of voters isn’t a good look,” said EWG President and California resident Ken Cook.
“Gov. Gavin Newsom and his handpicked commission should take the results of this survey seriously and scrap the power company plot to crush rooftop solar and impose a steep solar tax on working- and middle-class families. It’s terrible for the economy, would jack up rates, destroy jobs and is downright foolish politics,” Cook said.
Cook added: “When Arizona utility regulators adopted policies almost as stupid as the ones the CPUC has proposed for California, rooftop solar companies went out of business and solar employment fell off a cliff. Any guesses how a self-inflicted government blunder like that would poll with Californians?”
The CPUC was poised to move forward with adopting the proposal in recent weeks but has delayed a final decision. It’s unclear why regulators punted approval of the plan backed by the three big investor-owned utilities, but the tremendous public pressure against the proposal is almost certainly a main reason for hitting pause.
The statewide survey of 900 California voters took place between January 29 and February 2 and was not commissioned by a third party. Probolsky Research conducted it at its own expense and released the results on behalf of the public interest.
Cook and EWG officially intervened in the proceeding before the CPUC last summer, urging regulators to reject the proposal that would effectively end one of the nation’s most successful policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity grid, improve electric system resiliency and reduce electric system costs for all customers.
There are now rooftop solar panels on more than 1.3 million homes, small businesses, apartment buildings and other structures because of the incentives provided through the program that made it affordable for working- and middle-class communities.
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The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action. Visit www.ewg.org for more information.
