Setting the record straight on California energy legislation and regulations
It’s time to set the record straight about your electric bill and California’s energy challenges.
We believe that legislation and regulations must be based on facts and science – not misinformation from special interests, so-called “consumer” groups, and “experts” who refuse to reveal who’s paying them.
We’re here to provide accurate information to help customers, legislators, regulators and the media make informed decisions about energy policy. It’s time for a reality check so we can work together for a sustainable and affordable energy future for all of us.
SOLAR NET METERING
For decades, non-solar customers have been paying the price for net metering from residential solar energy systems – more than $8.5 billion, according to the CA Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Office of Public Advocates.
When the CPUC and the legislature began examining this issue, the solar industry launched a “the sky is falling” propaganda campaign claiming that any reforms will destroy our state’s commitment to solar power. It’s bogus.
The reality: The solar rooftop industry is alive and well in California. Just ask the CEO of Sunrun, the state’s largest rooftop solar company, who said on an earnings call, “...the trends, particularly in California, are positive and growing. In fact, California is growing faster now than the rest of the country for us. So, we’re feeling good about the build back in California.”
The director of the University of California’s Haas Energy Institute, Severin Borenstein, in a recent article “Guess What Didn’t Kill the Solar Industry,” notes he’s “hoping that California won’t waste time in 2025 debating whether to walk back the limited progress we have made rationalizing policy on rooftop solar.”
A Focus on
“Do Nothing” Legislation
The legislature, on average, introduces about 2,000 bills every session. The Legislative Analyst’s Office told Cal Matters it cost at least $18,000 to go from introduction to passage.
Two bills have been introduced in this year’s legislative session that its authors say are designed to prohibit utilities from using customer funds for political contributions and advertising. But here’s the hitch: the law already exists.
Assembly Bill 1167/Senate Bill 24 both try to legislate an issue that’s been put to rest by previous legislatures. The California Public Utilities Commission disallows the use of consumer funds for political contributions and has the authority to determine if any advertising is safety-based and can be recovered in rates.
How TURN Has Blocked Progress
The Utility Reform Network (TURN) has actively fought against common-sense safety measures designed to reduce wildfire risk, protect communities, and save lives. TURN, a so-called “nonprofit,” collects substantial fees from the PUC’s intervenor program. They've repeatedly opposed proposals to place overhead power lines underground—despite overwhelming evidence that undergrounding can eliminate up to 98% of wildfire risk. They've also fought against critical funding for vegetation management programs in high-risk fire zones and resisted upgrades like covered conductor technology, which helps prevent sparks during extreme weather.
TURN’s opposition hasn’t stopped there. The organization has criticized the use of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), a practice aimed at preventing catastrophic fires during periods of extreme high winds. Even when utilities have proposed improving billing systems to increase transparency and lower costs, TURN has stood in the way.
While California faces rising climate threats, TURN continues to block the very investments, innovations, and policies that could make our energy system safer, more reliable, and more affordable for all Californians.
Who We Are
The California Electric Utility Industry Labor Management Cooperation Committee is a collective effort of labor and the electric utility industry working to protect reliable, affordable power for customers.
The California Electric Utility Industry Labor Management Cooperation Committee has launched the "California Energy Fact Check" website and on social media (@caenergyfacts on X, Facebook, and Instagram, and @CAEnergyFacts.bsky.social on Bluesky).