California lowers incentives for rooftop solar panels

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California utility regulators have approved major changes to the state’s booming rooftop solar industry. Members of the California Public Utilities Commission say the proposal they passed Thursday will make the program more equitable and encourage more people to install home storage systems. The vote came after hours of public comments, with many people warning the program would gut rooftop solar and hurt the state’s climate goals. The changes will not affect the more than 1.5 million customers who already have solar panels on their homes. People with solar panels can get paid by their utilities for excess power, but critics say the current subsidies are too generous.