benefit from the development of solar generation projects located in their own or nearby disadvantaged communities. The program is similar to the current VNEM programs but tailored to the most disadvantaged communities in PG&E, SCE and SDG&E’s territories. The program draws from the 2015 Staff proposal and the proposals of Joint Solar Parties and CEJA/SELC (and comments thereupon). As discussed herein, this program will provide benefits to the participating customers, benefits to their communities, and benefits to the environment. The Community Solar program, along with the GTSR program, fill gaps among the various current solar programs because they benefit homeowners with unsuitable roofs and renters. Moreover, the Community Solar program provides these low-income customers opportunities to generate their own solar power. Background Customers who install small solar, wind, biogas, and fuel cell generation facilities to serve all or a portion of onsite electricity needs are eligible for the state's net metering program (NEM). NEM allows customers who generate their own energy ("customer-generators") to serve their energy needs directly onsite and to receive a financial credit on their electric bills at the end of a 12-month billing cycle for any surplus energy fed back to their utility. The current NEM program (the “NEM Successor Tariff”) was adopted by the Commission in and is available to customers of PG&E, SCE and SDG&E. The program provides customer-generators full retail rate credits for energy exported to the grid and requires them to pay certain charges that align NEM customer costs more closely with non-NEM customer costs. Any customer-generator applying for NEM must pay non-bypassable charges on each kilowatt-hour of electricity they consume from the grid in each metered interval to fund public
benefit from the development of solar generation projects located in their own or nearby disadvantaged communities. The program is similar to the current VNEM programs but tailored to the most disadvantaged communities in PG&E, SCE and SDG&E’s territories. The program draws from the 2015 Staff proposal and the proposals of Joint Solar Parties and CEJA/SELC (and comments thereupon). As discussed herein, this program will provide benefits to the participating customers, benefits to their communities, and benefits to the environment. The Community Solar program, along with the GTSR program, fill gaps among the various current solar programs because they benefit homeowners with unsuitable roofs and renters. Moreover, the Community Solar program provides these low-income customers opportunities to generate their own solar power. Background Customers who install small solar, wind, biogas, and fuel cell generation facilities to serve all or a portion of onsite electricity needs are eligible for the state's net metering program (NEM). NEM allows customers who generate their own energy ("customer-generators") to serve their energy needs directly onsite and to receive a financial credit on their electric bills at the end of a 12-month billing cycle for any surplus energy fed back to their utility. The current NEM program (the “NEM Successor Tariff”) was adopted by the Commission in and is available to customers of PG&E, SCE and SDG&E. The program provides customer-generators full retail rate credits for energy exported to the grid and requires them to pay certain charges that align NEM customer costs more closely with non-NEM customer costs. Any customer-generator applying for NEM must pay non-bypassable charges on each kilowatt-hour of electricity they consume from the grid in each metered interval to fund public
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