These California cities rank in top 20 for solar energy use in the United States

Several California cities including Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento ranked in the “Top 20 shining cities” list in a new solar energy use study, beating out New Orleans, Louisiana, Houston, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois.

The cities were ranked by total installed solar PV capacity at the end of 2021 and per capita.

More than 50 U.S. cities were analyzed by Environment California Research and Policy’s Shining Cities 2022: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy based on municipal and investor-owned utilities, city and state government agencies, operators of regional electric grids and non-profit organizations. Los Angeles ranked No. 1, leading the nation in solar energy capacity. Honolulu, Hawaii, had the highest rank per capita.

San Diego trailed behind at No. 2 in the total capacity category, topping cities like Las Vegas, Nevada, and San Antonio, Texas, until San Jose took the eighth spot. Sacramento ranked No. 14, followed by San Francisco, No. 18, and Riverside, No. 19.

A solar energy debate

While it may be unsurprising that several California cities ranked high in the study for solar energy capacity — given that more than one million home and business owners have rooftop solar panels and the state’s push towards renewable energy — the study comes during the stall of a controversial solar energy proposal.

According to the recent 56-page study, residents and business owners who install solar panels on their buildings can generate their own electricity, noting that it helps protect consumers from unpredictable spikes in fossil fuel prices in response to geopolitical conflict or natural disasters.

In December 2021, the California Public Utilities Commission proposed cutting the subsidy paid to homeowners who generate excess electricity from their rooftop solar panels, noting that instead customers would pay, for the first time, $40 to $50 a month depending on its generating capacity.

The proposal ignited backlash and in February, it was put on hold “until further notice.”

California versus California

But the political fight continues.

In a recent statement introducing the new solar energy study, Environment California argued the shelved policy change would’ve charged high monthly fees only to solar customers and nicked net metering credits, a structure that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid, by 80%.

“Some states and utilities continue to target solar customers with special fees, charges and rate designs in order to reduce the appeal and financial promise of installing solar panels,” Environment California wrote in Shining Cities 2022: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy. “These changes undermine the value of solar power and can stall cities’ development of their solar resources.

For a brief moment in April, the state set a new record in using clean renewable energy at 97.6%, according to the California Independent System Operator, a nonprofit headquartered in Folsom that operates the state’s power grid.

And while the California Independent System Operator has worked with government agencies like the California Public Utilities Commission to integrate more renewable energy sources into the grid system, the topic surrounding solar energy and the utilities commission’s role in it is still up for debate.

“California has over a million solar roofs thanks to pro-solar policies like net energy metering and incentive programs,” said Laura Deehan, state director with Environment California Research & Policy Center in a recent statement from the political nonprofit organization.

The utilities commission argued the system generates a huge subsidy — a combined $3 billion a year — that helps mostly upper-income homeowners and creates higher utility bills for non-solar households.

According to previous Bee reporting, the commission’s plan affects PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric customers. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s board of directors voted last fall to cut the credit paid to its thousands of customers with rooftop solar.

This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 5:00 AM.