Your help needed NOW to pass SOLAR bill

EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT! HELP PASS THE MILLION SOLAR ROOFS BILL

Your immediate action is needed to help pass the Million Solar Roofs bill, SB 1 (Murray). Please make a personal phone call to Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez's office right away. 916-319-2046. Tell him to "Get the job done! Pass SB 1. Don't let solar power be derailed by partisan politics "

Having passed the Senate by a vote of 30-5, as well as two policy committees in the Assembly (energy and housing), SB 1 was amended last week in a way[ that has removed Governor Schwarzenegger's support and has caused him to threaten a veto. It has also generated opposition from other labor unions, namely the Carpenters and Laborers unions, splitting the labor community on this bill.

The three controversial amendments that were attached to SB 1 without any public hearing or review are:
1) apply prevailing wage to all future commercial solar installations, small and large;
2) limits all future solar installations to electricians only (as opposed to others such as carpenters, laborers or C-46 solar licensed contractors); and
3) rider that expands disciplinary actions for all electrical work in state, not just solar, via business and professions code amendments. There is no reason for this rider to be on this particular bill.

There is a reasonable compromise that the Speaker must pursue immediately if this policy is to become law. This compromise could look something like:
1) apply prevailing wage to large commercial installations (200 kw or more), exempting solar projects such as mom & pop stores and replacing farm irrigation pumps
2) direct the state licensing board to determine which licensed contractors are best suited to install future solar systems
3) delete rider

There are now two days left to pass this bill. The Assembly Utilities committee is scheduled to hold a special hearing on SB 1 today but no movement has happened in this direction and the Speaker's position on addressing the Governor's concerns with the bill is still unknown.

Please call his office right away and urge him to support reasonable amendments on the Million Solar Roofs bill. Don't let our best chance for meaningful solar energy policy in California fall prey to partisan posturing.

Thank you!
Bernadette




Bernadette Del Chiaro
Clean Energy Advocate
Environment California
1107 9th Street, Suite 601
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-446-8062 x 103 (office)
916-448-4560 (fx)
bernadette [at] environmentcalifornia.org
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org