Action Alert: Solar Policy

We are down to the wire: One more time around to support SOLAR POWER!

Please tell your legislators to support LD 1504–a strong step towards fixing the broken and anti-solar PUC Rules and increasing the availability of community solar for all.

The Senate just made an early and unanimous vote to support the Majority “Ought to Pass As Amended” Report of LD 1504 (thanks to all of them!). Now, the bill in amended form goes to the House. It will likely be voted on TODAY, June 21, 2017. This is an enormously important moment to urge ALL HOUSE MEMBERS to support the Majority “Ought To Pass As Amended” Report of LD 1504.

A wide range of people have worked tirelessly to bring 1504 this far: supporters in both parties, solar installers, members of the business community, organizations working on energy, wildlife, public health, and many more. At the same time, utilities companies are in overdrive working to defeat it.

Your voice is needed now!

What LD 1504 does:

• Fixes one of the worst elements of the broken PUC solar rules by removing the tax on the solar you use at your house or business.
• Dramatically increases the number of participants allowed in community solar projects (from 10 to 100).
• Delays the phase-out of net metering until the PUC does a fact-based analysis of alternatives and impacts.

There’s no time to be lost! The PUC Rule will go into effect before the next legislative session if LD 1504 is not passed. That bad Rule increases costs for all electricity consumers in Maine–residents, businesses, and farms–by millions of dollars, and it threatens good solar jobs and future economic growth as well.

What You Can Do

Contact your legislators–especially House members–and ask them to support LD 1504, the Solar Bill, because it will protect Mainers from the costs of the bad PUC rule, allow expansion of community solar projects, and benefit Maine wildlife by helping to reduce that carbon emissions that cause climate change.

Maine Audubon is committed to promoting a clean and sustainable energy future for Maine. We are working to reduce the need for energy powered by fossil fuels that leads to climate change, one of the biggest  threats to wildlife and habitat in our state, nation, and the world.

We need LD 1504 to protect Maine from a huge backslide on solar power, cost increases to electricity customers, and losses to our solar economic sector. Please tell your legislators–particularly House members–how much solar matters to you and your community!

As always, thank you for your dedication and support!

Evelyn deFrees
Maine Audubon Staff Advocate
207-781-2330

To sign up for Maine Audubon’s Action Alert e-mails, please click here.