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Re: “Californians’ electric bills would be much lower without state’s program fees“
A recent CalMatters guest commentary has California’s affordability story exactly backwards. Rooftop solar isn’t driving up utility bills — wildfire capital and guaranteed utility profits are the dominant drivers.
The California Public Advocates Office attributes roughly 21% of rates to wildfire-related capital, the single largest driver of recent rate increases. The California Public Utilities Commission, the state’s utilities regulator, also guarantees the three investor-owned utilities returns on equity to almost 10%. Last year, CEO pay alone reached $19.8 million.
Every ratepayer covers those costs.
The rooftop solar “subsidy” is a rate-design, not a transfer of money. The Natural Resources Defense Council describes it as fixed-cost recovery by utilities on flat sales, not a payment from non-solar to solar customers. Research has shown that existing rooftop solar actually saved all ratepayers approximately $1.5 billion in 2024 alone by reducing peak load and deferring transmission build-out. The latest version of the state’s rooftop solar program has already slashed solar credits by 75%, yet wildfire spending has no such ceiling.
Real affordability means reforming rate design and expanding solar ownership opportunities to more renters, low-income families and small businesses — not scapegoating customers who generate their own clean power.
