Alexis Sutterman News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

California is looking to raise electric bills for the wealthy — and maybe middle-class families too.

And community solar, too, for those of us who don't own our roofs.

Community solar and storage could help power California toward its goals for clean energy, grid reliability, energy equity and affordable housing — but only if regulators don't allow the state's biggest utilities to undermine it. That’s the argument a sprawling coalition of solar industry groups, consumer advocates, environmental justice organizations, labor unions and the state’s homebuilding industry has been making before the California Public Utilities Commission over the past few months.

California has been a leader in generating solar power on rooftops, but the state hasn't seen the same success with subscription-style "community solar" projects.

On a square-foot basis, the issue of inequality is made worse by higher costs for energy usage in the nation. Efforts like community solar programs are underway to boost low-income participation in the cost benefits of renewable energy.