Here in California, our electricity rates are through the roof. Californians are expected to pay $340 more for electricity this year than last year. More than 238,000 households in our state are already behind on their utility bills, with an average overdue balance of $1,120.

This is make-or-break money for many families. And with energy demand soaring due to data centers and war in the Middle East driving up gas prices, this trend shows no sign of slowing. A solution called community solar plus storage has benefited me and my family, but in order for more Californians to access it, the Legislature needs to act.

Community solar plus storage works by setting up small-scale solar projects in places like warehouse rooftops or unused farm land. Local residents who can’t put solar projects on their own roofs — either because they rent, or because they can’t afford or don’t want to install solar panels — can subscribe to these projects and save money on their utility bills. Subscribers are spared any upfront costs, the grid gets stronger, and costs don’t go up for other ratepayers. It’s a win-win.

Switching From Propane to Community Solar

I first learned about community solar plus storage through an organization called Self-Help Enterprises. At the time, my community of West Goshen was using propane and facing very high energy costs. We started trying to find other energy alternatives, which led us to local organizations who found new projects that were being funded, including community solar.

I had my own concerns and skepticism about subscribing to something I’d never heard of before, but people were suffering and we were out of other options. I took a leap of faith and became a Community Energy Navigator, which meant working with my neighbors to help them understand what community solar was.

Through this work, I got to talk directly with residents and learn their fears and apprehensions. Most people were in mobile homes, not a standard single-family home situation. They were feeling the pain of higher bills and desperate for a solution. Conversation by conversation, I saw people begin to realize how community solar plus storage could benefit them in the long run.

I was born and raised in the Central Valley and have lived here all my life. People who don’t live here often don’t understand how expensive it is just to keep our homes livable in hot summers and cold winters. Thanks to the 20% discount from my community solar subscription, my bill for my family of five dropped by $300 in the summer months.

Why Hasn’t Legislature Acted on Community Solar?

Once you participate in a project like this, you realize it’s a no-brainer. I want everyone in the state to have the same opportunity my neighbors and I do — but unfortunately, this cost-saving solution is out of reach for many.

Nearly half of California’s 39 million residents are renters, yet our state has built only a couple dozen community solar projects since 2015. This is nowhere near enough. In 2022, state lawmakers took an important step by passing community solar legislation. But it has since failed to implement that legislation, leaving millions of Californians in the lurch.

I’ve experienced firsthand how community solar plus storage can bring relief from high electricity bills when that relief feels impossible to come by any other way. I’ve talked to friends and neighbors and heard their concerns — and then seen their gratitude when they benefited from these projects. I hope that this session, the Legislature can pass a bill that will deliver workable community solar plus storage and real relief for families like mine, this time on a much larger scale.

A small number of projects won’t make a difference for the millions of renters in our state who are struggling under high energy bills. For that, we need our leaders to act in our best interests and pass workable community solar legislation.

About the Author

Melynda Metheney is a resident of West Goshen, just west of Visalia, and a subscriber to the San Joaquin Valley community solar pilot project.

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