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Environmental justice coalition urges state to expand multifamily and renter access to solar and energy programs
Summary
The California Environmental Justice Alliance told commissioners that low-income renters face barriers to rooftop solar and that programs such as SOMA (Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing) and SB 2316 implementation must be prioritized to reach renters and disadvantaged communities.
Diana Vasquez Ballesteros, co-executive director for programs at the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA), told the Little Hoover Commission that low-income and renter households are being left out of the benefits of rooftop solar and energy efficiency unless policymakers design programs to address ‘‘split incentives’’ and other barriers.
Why it matters: CEJA represents community-based organizations across the state and cautioned commissioners that 70% of low-income households are renters and often cannot access rooftop solar without landlord participation or targeted program design.
What CEJA described: Vasquez Ballesteros summarized CEJA’s work on the SOMA program (Solar on Multifamily Affordable housing) and the Energy Commission’s SB 350 low-income barriers report as frameworks for improving access. She said SOMA and AB 2316 (which requires CPUC assessment of community renewable programs for low-income customers) are important tools but that implementation and CPUC follow-through have been incomplete.
Barriers and solutions: CEJA highlighted split incentives (when building owners, not tenants, capture energy savings), the need for local coordination on weatherization and upgrades, and the importance of community-based organizations to build trust and enroll residents. Vasquez Ballesteros urged dedicated funding streams and program structures to reach multifamily and low-income renters.
Ending: CEJA proposed continued monitoring and implementation support and urged the commission to consider equity in any affordability or restructuring recommendations. Commissioners asked follow-up questions about how state and local governments could better coordinate to reduce barriers to multifamily deployment and to track outcomes of prior reports.
