San Francisco Solar Energy Incentive Program Info

From Vote Solar.org:

Friends-

It’s game-time.  On Tuesday, June 3, the SF Board of Supervisors will vote on the proposed San Francisco Solar Energy Incentive Program. 

There are 3 options on the table (you can see them all here: items 14, 15, and 16), but only one will result in any solar to speak of. 

• Option 1, sponsored by Supervisor Dufty, would implement the 10 year, $2-5 million annual program of rebates, as recommended by the task force and initially approved by the Board several months ago.  If your goal is to rapidly increase the amount of solar installed in San Francisco, and enjoy the workforce development and clean energy benefits that would result, then this is clearly the best option.  It would provide more solar bang for the buck, and put the city on a path away from fossil fuels and towards sustainable, renewable energy. (This is agenda item 15, available here (pdf))
• Option 2 is a measure sponsored by Supervisor Mirkarimi.  He proposes a 1 year, $1 million pilot program, of which $500,000 would go to multi-unit residential buildings owned and operated by non-profits, $250,000 to low-income residential applicants, and $250,000 to non-residential buildings owned by non-profits.  The problem with this option is that we don’t believe it will result in much solar.  To begin with, the pot of money is much smaller.  Secondly, three-quarters of the funds are reserved for non-profits.  Now, we love non-profits (as we are one ourselves) but note that non-profits can’t take advantage of the 30% investment tax credit, and multi-family residential units face ownership and metering challenges that make solar retrofits practically impossible.  In short, these rebates are targeted to very, very difficult solar markets, and we don’t expect much utilization of those funds.  If the funds aren’t used, the program’s ability to stimulate workforce development and reduce reliance on fossil fuels will be reduced accordingly.  (Supervisor Mirkarimi’s proposal is item #16 (pdf))
• Option 3 is a measure sponsored by Supervisor McGoldrick.  It would prohibit the SF PUC from providing funds to non-governmental entities-essentially, no rebate program at all.  It’s item 14 on the Board Agenda.

This is a policy decision for the Board.  In our analysis, the goal of rapidly increasing solar installations in city limits-with the benefits of developing new jobs, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and helping the city meet its carbon requirements-is best served by option 1, the original Solar Task Force proposal.  While there are many policy considerations at stake, the other alternatives just won’t deliver.

There is no time to comment at Tuesday’s meeting, but certain Supervisors could be moved if you give them a call. 

We are reaching out to Supervisors Ammiano, Maxwell, Sandoval, and Peskin and asking them to support Dufty’s proposal. 

Can you make one last call?  It’s our last best effort to win this program through the Board of Supervisors.

Sophie Maxwell, District 10
(415) 554-7670
Tom Ammiano, District 9
(415) 554-5144
Aaron Peskin, District 3
(415) 554-7450
Gerardo Sandoval, District 11
(415) 554-6975

Polite calls are the most effective-

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