SACRAMENTO, CA – California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill (SB) 1374, which was designed to accelerate local solar adoption. SB 1374 would have expanded solar benefits by reversing a prior CPUC decision that prevents schools and apartment buildings from being able to use the solar energy they generate on their properties. This misguided veto will result in unnecessary energy costs for schools and apartment buildings.

“In rejecting Senate Bill 1374, California misses a big opportunity to help schools lower their energy costs,” said Edson Perez, California lead at Advanced Energy United. “This bill would have empowered schools to maximize solar and storage investments, crucial for reducing energy costs that could have been reinvested back into classrooms, and fostered more learning opportunities for students.”

This missed opportunity is also another blow to California’s clean energy goals and highlights the ongoing challenges in making distributed energy resources more accessible across the state.

“Distributed energy resources like solar and storage generate substantial ratepayer savings by shaving off peak load and diminishing the need for as much new grid infrastructure – two key drivers of rising electric bills. SB 1374’s veto will result in higher electric bills for all ratepayers, not less,” added Perez.

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