Should California make solar more expensive? Inside the climate justice battle

Parakeets and lovebirds were chirping in Marta Patricia Martinez’s frontyard as a crew of solar installers climbed onto her roof. “We will fall horribly short of our clean energy goals if we kill the rooftop solar market,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of the California Solar & Storage Assn. Building lots of rooftop solar “makes it easier and cheaper.” GRID Alternatives solar installers Juan Alcantara, left, Sal Miranda and Lee Kwok place rooftop panels on Marta Patricia Martinez’s home in Watts. The Solar Rights Alliance, for instance, accused the Utility Reform Network of “using their reputation to attack rooftop solar” and “promoting false claims.” The consumer watchdog’s executive director, Mark Toney, responded that his organization “is a leader in fighting utility rate increases and supporting a rapid transition to a clean energy economy.” Other solar supporters created a petition slamming the AARP for “pushing the utilities’ agenda.” AARP has defended its advocacy. With net metering, he said, they’re “free riding on the system.” Borenstein and other critics say net metering could actually hurt California’s climate quest by driving up energy costs.