It's getting down to the wire on SB1, the "Million Solar Roofs Initiative." Here's the latest...

SB1 was defeated Friday on the Assembly floor by a vote of 41 to 28 and
referred to the Assembly Utilities & Commerce Committee, and Conference Committee (involving both Senate and Assembly).

SB1 will be heard in the Assembly sometime this week, perhaps on Wednesday or Thursday.

In the meantime, we need to keep the pressure on the members of the Utilities & Commerce Committee to make sure that the recent IBEW amendments are removed and the bill can move back to the Assembly floor with our full support. Please write to the members of this committee.

I have included our letter at the end of this email. Please feel free to use it or modify it to your own words. But PLEASE ACT NOW!

Here is the list of the members of the Utilities & Commerce Committee, with their contact information:

Lloyd Levine (Chair)
State Capitol, Room 5136
(916) 319-2040
(916) 319-2140 FAX
[email protected]

Russ Bogh (Vice Chair)
State Capitol, Room 4098
(916) 319-2065
(916) 319-2165 FAX

Joe Baca
State Capitol, Room 2160
(916) 319-2062
(916) 319-2162 FAX
[email protected]

Sam Blakeslee
State Capitol, Room 5126
(916) 319-2033
(916) 319-2133 FAX
[email protected]

Rebecca Cohn
State Capitol, Room 3160
(916) 319-2024
(916) 319-2124 FAX
[email protected]

Hector De La Torre
State Capitol, Room 4162
(916) 319-2050
(916) 319-2150 FAX

Jerome Horton
State Capitol, Room 2163
(916) 319-2051
(916) 319-2151 FAX
[email protected]

Ricard Keene
State Capitol, Room 6027
(916) 319-2003
(916) 319-2103 FAX
[email protected]

Cindy Montaez
State Capitol, Room 3013
(916) 319-2039
(916) 319-2139 FAX
[email protected]

Mark Ridley-Thomas
State Capitol, Room 3152
(916) 319-2048
(916) 319-2148 FAX
[email protected]

Mark Wyland
State Capitol, Room 4130
(916) 319-2074
(916) 319-2174 FAX
[email protected]

Thank you for taking the time right now to contact these Assembly Members and let them know how you feel.

--
Ciao,

Dan Pellegrini
President & CEO
CCEnergy
(415) 457-0215
www.ccenergy.com

Quote of the Day:
A set back is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.

- Henry Ford

_____________________________________________________

State Capitol, Room [####]
Sacramento, CA 94249

Dear Assemblymember [MEMBER],



As a member of the Assembly Utilities & Commerce Committee, you will be considering Senate Bill 1, the "Million Solar Roofs Initiative." You are in the position to set aside partisan politics and do the right thing for California by ensuring the passage of SB1 and supporting California's investment in it's own energy future.

However, two last-minute amendments have been added to SB1 that will completely undermine the bill's intent: 1) the requirement to pay prevailing wage on solar installation projects and 2) limit qualified solar installers only to contractors with electrical (C-10) licenses. These amendments will push the cost of solar upwards - exactly the opposite of what SB1 is designed to accomplish. We implore you to demonstrate true statesmanship by working to ensure SB1 is passed with these amendments removed.

Limiting solar installation work to electrical contractors will set a precedent that extends beyond the solar industry. Installing air conditioning and swimming pools, for example, includes incidental electrical work and the contractors currently performing these trades do so knowledgeably and competently without a C-10 licensing requirement. Similarly, solar installations should not be restricted to union certified electrical contractors. Preventing general and C-46 contractors from performing work for which they are qualified and already authorized to do by the California Contractors State License Board will restrict competition severely, reduce the pool of qualified solar installers in the state, and limit consumer choice. Clearly the CSLB is the most appropriate determiner of trade classifications, not individual labor unions. SB1 must be amended to ensure that contractors with general, C-10, or C-46 licenses can install solar systems, as permitted under current law.

The prevailing wage requirement also undermines the vast economic potential of solar energy. Enabling California's solar industry to gain critical mass and thrive stands to improve the state's overall fiscal condition dramatically. Energy costs are a huge cost component of doing business here both for private commercial enterprises as well as state and municipal agencies. Companies and organizations that invest in solar energy cut their electricity costs dramatically and improve their bottom lines. Many businesses start earning cash-positive returns on their solar investments immediately.

A maturing solar market will bring much-needed power to California, and will also create jobs. Given the growing global market for clean energy - a market that grew 62% in 2004 alone - this technology has the potential to become the next "Silicon Valley" of California, bringing tens of thousands of jobs to the state. As untenable as it may seem to pass legislation that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger endorses, we remind you that support for solar energy in California did not originate with Arnold - the origins of SB1 pre-date his election to office - and the long-term benefits of solar energy will continue long after his administration ends.
 Take the long view and do the right thing. California needs SB1, with the contractor licensing and prevailing wage amendments removed, to ensure the development of affordable, clean energy in our state for generations to come.


Respectfully,

[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR CITY], Calif.