Welcome to Solar Freedom, the podcast where we help you defend the freedom and independence of rooftop solar with our hosts from the Solar Rights Alliance: Dave Rosenfeld, Executive Director, and Cailey Underhill, Advocacy and Development Director.
IN THIS EPISODE:
We give you the tools to fight for your consumer rights against the red alert bill AB 942:
https://solarrights.org/dontbreakthecontract-action/
AB 942, authored by a former utility executive, narrowly passed the State Assembly after legislators bent the rules to ram the bill through. The bill was weakened by amendments, but not killed. The fight is still on, and opposition has continued to mount: powerful organizations have joined us in opposing AB 942, such as the Western Center on Law and Poverty, the California Association of Realtors, the state's largest home builders.
Now, AB 942 heads to its first committee vote in the State Senate. Dave and Cailey are joined by the San Francisco-based lawyer, regulatory expert, and a former president of the California Public Utilities Commission, Loretta Lynch. They discuss how the monopoly utilities in California captured the state’s regulators, and what we can do to put the power back in our hands.
This is the time to call your state Senator and ask them to vote NO on AB 942 as amended! Then share this message with three friends, or a thousand.
KEY MOMENTS:
Update on the bill that would break 2 million solar contracts: 1:02
Loretta Lynch, former CPUC President: 10:49
Solar Hero Rob: 30:06
Solar Voices, the story of how solar saved Richard’s life: 34:13
Tools to take action: 32:18
"Instead of the regulator taking a sharp pencil to the utility claimed costs, they actually rubber stamp those costs without even looking at them." - Loretta Lynch
TRANSCRIPT:
https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode4Transcript
GET THE FULL STORY:
Solar Freedom, Episode 1:
https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode1
Solar Freedom, Episode 2:
https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode2
Solar Freedom, Episode 3:
https://bit.ly/SolarRightsAlliancePodcast-Episode3
See how your Assemblymember voted on your solar contract:
https://bit.ly/howyourassemblymembervoted-AB942
MORE BACKGROUND:
The solar contract and California’s guarantee:
https://solarrights.org/blog/2025/03/15/why-your-solar-investment-is-protected-and-should-remain-that-way/
The utilities and their allies spent more than $1 billion influencing politicians, nonprofits, academia, and more:
https://solarrights.org/blog/2024/11/13/utilitypayments/
Learn more about the utility lies about rooftop solar:
https://solarrights.org/cost-shift/
We’d love to hear your stories and questions!
Give us a call at 619-292-8740, and let us know in your voicemail that you’re calling for the podcast. We’ll select questions and stories to play on the air for each episode!
